Chronicles of Shishima
by acumashindorballomu
Summary: A dark force of nature with an ambition greater than the universe itself returns, its actions now shedding the cold shadows of reality upon an unsuspecting college student. His happy life suddenly turned into a nightmare, will he be able to get back what he had lost? Join them both in their endless struggle of becoming Master, in a Duel unlike any that has taken place before.
1. Let there be Darkness

There was nothing. Emptiness was all around. An endless void. The rest however, was surprisingly peaceful.

Let there be Darkness.

He floated in it. He was one with it. Was he the only thing existing here?

No. From afar there were the echoes of screams. He began feeling the pain, the fear, the confusion. Whoever else was there had been suffering profoundly.

How pleasant…

No matter how far it was, he was fueled by it; it gave him strength.

Yes, it seemed he had a body; he moved an arm to make sure, then a leg, then a wing, lastly his head.

Good.

Instinctively, he began swimming through the ocean of blackness, wandering aimlessly. No idea where to go, but remaining in one position was not an option. The only guide he had were the screams. He tried to approach them; however it felt as though it took him a long time to reach them.

Time… how much of it has gone by?

When the loud noises of torture were becoming unbearable, the temperature began to rise. All of a sudden, flames burst out of nowhere, lighting the area and harming his body. The pain, surging through him. But he would not allow himself to scream. More so out of pride rather than endurance. The force of those flames was pushing him back, almost as if it were trying to prevent him from escaping.

"No!" he screeched, surprised for a bit at the sound of his own demonic hissed voice, he had almost forgot how he sounded like. "I will not be thrown again in this wretched prison!"

A mix of stubbornness and desperation pushed him to jump into the flames and fight his way out. His fur burned, his skin ached, but he did not care. Either he went out or he vanished forever, no in between.

"Poor little demon." A deep voice caught his attention and then he saw a small dot of light appear in the distance, beyond the flames. "You never know your place, do you?"

"Who the hell said that?!" he demanded as the flames began engulfing him like a tight rope.

"I am far beyond your narrow minded understanding," the deep voice mocked. "After all, what else do you know other than satisfying your own petty fragile little ego?"

"Show yourself, bastard!" he screeched and struggled even harder through the inferno.

"You wish to own existence itself, yet you are not even able to free yourself. You're no God, you're just a frustrated weakling." The voice began to laugh at his expense.

"I'll kill you!" he claimed and began slashing the flames away with his claws, making his way to the dot of light.

At this point anger was driving him through the pain of it all. Nobody dared to disrespect him and got to live afterwards. Despite all this, the dot of light seemed to move a bit further every time he attempted to reach for it. Such cheap tricks served only to annoy him more, and with one single jump he made it past the inferno and managed to finally grab the dot of light. And then the surroundings turned white.

He opened his eyes. His sight was much clearer than before. Ahead of him was a vast black space decorated with countless circular lights of different colors and sizes. He reached out a claw to it and noticed that his fur was purple. Looking down at his body, he saw that it was fully covered by the same fur. His claws were sharp and his wings large. Yes, now he started remembering who he was and how he got there. His name was…

"Shishima," the voice from before spoke, now much clearer, making him look around.

An old man with long grey hair and beard, who was wearing nothing but a dark blue bathrobe and fur slippers, suddenly appeared in front of him, greeting:

"Welcome to the gap between existence and nonexistence."

"Who are you?" the furry being asked, maintaining the same aggressive tone.

"You may call me The Writer." The old man smirked.

"That's it? It's so…"

"Mundane, yes, I know. But really, to someone like you it shouldn't be."

"Keh, and why's that? You're nothing but an old geezer."

"An old geezer, yes, but this old geezer has more knowledge than you could ever hope to gain."

"Knowledge is nothing without power."

"But power is strengthened by knowledge. Shishima, you are an ambitious demon, unlike any I've seen before in this world of mine-"

"Yours?" the fiend interrupted him. "Fool, this world is mine and mine alone!" He stretched his arms and wings towards the vast space ahead.

"You wish it were true. But in actuality, I created this world just like I have created you and everyone else in it," the old man gloated as he took out a pen and piece of paper. "With the simple act of writing a sentence, creation or destruction can occur. Because of this, I am the closest thing to a God for your world."

At that point Shishima burst into hysterical laughter, his hisses fading into the cold deafness of space.

"You? A God? Spare me the poor jokes, I sense no ounce of power in your most likely mortal body," he criticized, only for The Writer to give him a disappointed frown. "And even if what you said about the power of your writing is true, why would you have allowed me to awaken and escape my punishment of eternal slumber from the Abyss?"

The flat response came quick, unnerving him, "It wasn't planned."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look behind you."

Shishima turned around and saw nothing but endless darkness. It was the same darkness he had fought so hard to escape.

"I thought that after your latest defeat you had been bound there for all eternity, but somehow you awoke and managed to break out of your imposed imprisonment, thus reaching me here," The Writer explained.

"So that's what you meant about the gap between existence and nonexistence," he replied while turning back to the old man. "What awaits me on the other side?"

"The same world you've been into during your past life."

"Excellent. And I suppose you'll try to stop me?"

What followed next surprised the demon. The old man smiled slyly and stepped out of his way, saying, "Go ahead."

"What?" Shishima replied, dumbfounded.

"I said: go ahead."

"You're just going to let me free into your world?"

"Sure, why not? It will definitely make things more interesting around there."

"What kind of God allows someone like me to exist in his world? You know very well what I'll do once I get there."

"Yes, I know exactly what you will do, which is why I'm allowing it. It's been a long time since I've witnessed something entertaining."

"Keh, so that's it? You seal their fates because you're bored?"

"Precisely… and why do you even care about them or my motives, Shishima? You have your own goals, so in my opinion you should take this one in a lifetime opportunity I'm giving you to try and take over the universe I've created." The Writer crossed his arms and looked at him expectantly. "It's either that or back into the Abyss with you. So what will you choose?"

All of a sudden, Shishima's claws went through him, the image of the old man disappearing as soon as the sharp claws collided with him.

"You're wasting my time," the demon dismissed him.

And thus he plunged with arms and wings open wide into the vast universe that lay ahead of him. He fell and fell, the coldness of space making him feel so alive, the speed with which he moved messing his purple fur and black mane, but he did not care at all. Passing by countless galaxies and black holes, he could not help but marvel even a bit at the wonder of that existence. There was some sort of majestic feeling that he got from seeing all those planets circling their own stars. But more importantly, his greed grew even bigger. He wanted them all for himself, and nothing would stop him from that goal. Eventually he reached the Milky Way and searched the pale blue spiraled galaxy for the Solar System. The nine planets and their sun soon came into his vision and he went ahead, going straight towards the seventh one, a blue sphere known by its inhabitants as Earth or Terra. As he approached it, he could not help but ponder on how insignificant the tiny planet was compared to the rest of the universe. And yet, despite that seeming drawback, it was the place where the fate of said universe would soon be decided. Yes, it was the stage for his future master plan. With a little ambitious smile on his sharp face, Shishima fell into the Earth's atmosphere. He began to feel his entire body get engulfed by flames once again, and before he knew it he blacked out.

A soothing sound. A salty smell. A cool breeze. He opened his eyes. Above was the dark blue starry sky. The sky from which he descended.

Raising a hand towards it, a shocking surprise awaited - it was bald. More so, there were no claws either. It was a human hand. Quickly he began touching himself and felt no sign of fur, rather the soft touch of fabrics. He wore clothes, he was a mortal.

Instinctively he got on his two feet and looked around. He was on a very familiar beach. For some reason he knew that he had been there before, in a human body. He had to know what he looked like, immediately. Taking large awkward steps, he slowly approached the ocean. The calm waves hit the muddy shore and retreated like nothing happened. Staring in the water, he saw his reflection: a man in his early twenties wearing white sneakers, dark blue jeans and a black T shirt with short sleeves. He had long black hair that reached his shoulders, his eyes having their sclera black and the irises were shining red. That face was very familiar. He was stealing someone else's identity. For a moment the reflection changed into that of a bipedal lion demon with purple fur and wings coming from his back, a black mane and sharp face with horns coming out of his forehead, the only thing similar to his human body being the eyes.

He then remembered: he was Shishima, a lion daiyoukai, the highest class of demon. He had once attempted to destroy the universe and then remake it in his own image, using a human's body that resembled the one he had. He failed and was imprisoned in the endless depths of the Abyss, condemned to eternal slumber. However, his never ending ambition awoke him and pushed him to escape that prison, thing which led to his meeting with The Writer. He began to giggle as he recalled their conversation, which concluded the prospect of him having a second chance to correct his failure and finally achieve his ultimate goal of conquest.

He put his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Shockingly, he found a familiar feeling gracing his fingertips. The perfectly cut shapes of fate, the strands of his own past misgivings, given shape and form. He tightened his grip. A realm of darkness appeared in his mind, then that of slaves, dragging their shambling frames towards a pale light. Next, came the taste of blood into his mouth, and then, a feeling of danger. The Council staring at his actions from afar, their visage walled up behind a fortress of screams and nightmares. A distant roar, the distant sound of heavy wings beating...

Yes, it was all coming back to him. The familiar sense of satisfaction, of bodies twisting and groaning, of mortals begging for mercy. It was all _coming_ back.

"Duel Masters," he whispered as he placed the deck back into the pocket. "I am Demon Subaru. And I'm back."

He turned to the shining and imposing futuristic city that lay up on the beach's hill. With silent discreet steps, he started climbing the stairs. This time he would be having his way.


	2. Labyrinth of Diamond

Hajime Shirayama had finished his courses on that autumn Monday evening. Hajime seemed like a normal second year college student, with neck length blond hair and sapphire blue eyes, outside he always wore skin shoes, jeans and a turquoise-colored turtleneck sweater paired with a pale-yellow scarf. Although a bit timid, he was a smart and modest kid with good grades, enjoying detective novels in his free time.

In actuality, his family was very rich and influential, his parents owning a popular fashion company. This was why he attended Sagakin University in the hometown of his paternal grandmother, which although it was in a corner of the country, it still was one of its top colleges to which many youngsters flocked for an education. He lived in his grandmother's mansion, thus avoiding the crowdedness of college dorms. That meant he would usually not share the same path home with the few friends he had, but having a quiet room to go to after a hard day of studies brought its own rewards.

Hajime stood on the side of the hallway with his backpack on, watching the crowds of students make their way out of the large building. Soon enough, a brown haired boy of his age, wearing a green gym suit with white stripes and a pair of black sneakers, made his way out of the crowd to him. It was Ken, his best friend since high school. Unlike him, Ken was more outgoing and energetic, practicing sports in his free time. The one thing that they had in common was their love for video games. This led to a tight friendship where they both helped each other when it came to homework, bullies and sometimes even personal problems regarding family or romantic relationships. Long story short, they had been bros for the past five years. Ken even made the effort to go to the same college with him after high school.

"Late!" Hajime greeted him and they both fist bumped, their usual ritual greeting.

"Coach had us do some laps after training." Ken shrugged. "How long have you been standing here?"

"Doesn't matter." The blond shook his head. "Let's go."

"Right behind you," the brunette replied.

The crowd had dissipated outside, thus enabling them to calmly exit the building as well. The college yard was large, almost the size of a park. Bricked sidewalks made their way through the trees, leading either to smaller buildings such as the cafeteria and gym or to one of the two exits. The sun had set, its final crimson rays slowly fading into the West. A half-moon now reigned above along with a multitude of small blue stars. Streetlights illuminated the busy roads once every five feet. Compared to the capital, this was a way calmer university town. They had both made the right decision to study there.

The bus station was at a five-minute walk from the college. Hajime did not need to take the bus, for he simply had to walk three more streets and he got home. Ken however required it to get to the dorms which were two stops away. As expected, students crowded to get into the bus and more seemed to be sitting in the station.

"That's a bummer," Ken remarked.

"If three's a crowd, four's a mob," Hajime commented, making his friend chuckle.

"Then you up for a duel?" the brunette challenged, his smirk ever so confident.

"Come on, dude, you know I don't play that game much."

"You're just mad that I always beat your slow ass deck."

The blond groaned and rolled his eyes. "I don't care. I play Duel Masters as a hobby. I'm not that crazed about it as you are."

"Don't be a butt-hurt little bitch. Your grandma's a chosen duelist. You've got to keep the family tradition!"

" _Was_ a chosen duelist, there is no more need for six people to solve humanity's problems with supernatural creatures. As a matter of fact, these creatures haven't shown themselves in almost fifty years."

"That doesn't mean you can't accept my challenge."

"Gosh, you're such a baby sometimes, Ken."

"Alright, if you think that waiting for the bus is more productive…"

As much as Hajime hated to admit it, his friend was right. Giving in, he unzipped a small pocket on the left side of his backpack and pulled out a deck of cards which was tied with a small green elastic rubber. Happy that he got his wish, Ken smirked and took out his deck as well, both of them heading into the small park behind the bus stop. Passing by a few swings and slides, they reached a rectangular metallic table located in a corner. Two white horizontal lines were on both ends of the length, along with two squares on their right side.

Both shuffled their decks and placed them on the right side, between the two lines, near the square. Then they both took the top five cards and placed them face down left to the deck. Those were known as the shields. Afterwards they each drew five cards. That was the hand. Usually who started was decided randomly by a coin or dice toss, rock-paper-scissors or cutting the deck and having the card with the highest cost as the winner. Other times one just went first and that was it.

"I'll start!" Ken announced and placed a green card into his mana zone, then another into the battle zone, turning it to the right 90 degrees. "I charge mana and summon Jack, Bei B. Jack, Bei B is put tapped into the battle zone, your turn."

"I charge mana and end my turn." Hajime quickly did his move.

"Still playing Mono Light Metallica, ey?" his friend asked in a mocking fashion.

"I only play for fun." The blond shook his head. "Besides, I've recently taken a small interest in rare stones."

"Whatever you say, I summon Deathmatch Beetle. Then using Jack's effect, I tap it as mana and cast Treasure Map. With this spell's effect I check the top five cards of my deck, take a creature to my hand and put the rest to the bottom of my deck. I'll take Juranail."

"I summon Crista, First Squad."

With Crista's effect, Hajime's Metallica creatures cost 1 less to summon. It was a good progression, however with Jack, Bei B in the battle zone; Ken's progression was guaranteed to be the faster one.

"I summon Rutsparfait Panzer and with its effect I send it to the mana zone. Then Jack's effect, I tap Deathmatch Beetle and my last mana to summon two Juranail, Seven Quakes World King, both put tapped in the battle zone."

In just three turns, Ken had managed to bring out four creatures, out of which three had great power. But in doing so, he had depleted his hand, and his creatures could not attack his opponent directly due to their conditions, at least not yet. Still, Jack had 6000 power, Deathmatch Beetle had 13000 power and both Juranails had 24000 power, not at all something to joke around with. Even still, Hajime would not give up easily, so he did his turn:

"Crista reduces his cost, so I summon Bernine, Dragon Armored and draw a card."

Whenever he put a Metallica into the battle zone, Bernine allowed him to draw a card. It was also a good progression, one that allowed him to never deplete his hand while filling the battle zone. However, somehow Ken knew it was not enough. Placing his hand on the top card of his deck, he stated, "I can feel my trump card coming."

"Are you sure it's not just the beans you had for lunch?" the blond wondered, crossing his arms.

"Oh yes, I'm sure!" the brunette claimed as he drew. "Yes, here it is – I summon Gale Vesper of Heavenly Winds."

"What the…? That costs 10 mana and you have 4!" Hajime protested.

"Gale Vesper has Double Sympathy for creatures that have power 12000 or more. That means that for each of those creatures that I have in the battle zone, Gale Vesper costs 2 mana less, and I just so happen to have 3 of them."

"It can't be…"

"Now with Gale Vesper's effect, each of my creatures now gains Double Sympathy: creatures that have power 12000 or more."

More so, Gale Vesper itself had 12000 power, meaning that it added itself to the effect which reduced the cost of creatures. Things started to look bad for the blond, which began his turn.

"Tsh, I summon a second Crista, First Squad and draw a card. Then I summon three Faywon, Green Silver and draw three cards. By their effects, I tap each of them and draw three more cards. Turn end."

Faywon had a mere 1500 power, but it also featured the new attack bend effect. It consisted of untapping one of your creatures whenever an opponent's creature attacked and then redirecting said attack, usually to itself or another of the player's tapped creatures. It was a good stalling mechanism, but Ken's creatures were way stronger, meaning that he would wipe most of Hajime's field in no time, so he began his turn.

"I tap 3 mana and untap Jack, Bei B! Then due to Gale Vesper's and Jack's effects, I summon Moai Land, Ancient Paradise by tapping one mana and Deathmatch Beetle!"

"M-Moai Land?!"

"Oh yes, Moai Land won't allow you to cast spells or expand fields and whenever it wins a battle I send three of your shields to the mana zone."

"So strong…" Hajime murmured to himself.

"Jack, attack a Faywon and destroy it! Gale Vesper, do the same!" Ken ordered. "I end."

However, Hajime still had the hand advantage, so he did not allow himself to be backed in a corner yet. Putting his hand on the top card of his deck, he braced himself.

"You brought out your trump card, I will do the same!" Then he graciously drew and a smile appeared on his face as he placed it into the battle zone. "I summon White Night, Edge of Yin Yang! With its effect I add a shield and Bernine lets me draw a card. Then I activate its Labyrinth effect, if I have more shields than you, my Metallicas win all battles until the start of my next turn!"

"What the… then the high power of my Gransects is useless in this case," his opponent uttered with a dropped jaw.

"Exactly! I also summon Ka Doubler, Red Attack Silver and put him tapped into the battle zone, I draw another card thanks to Bernine. Crista, destroy Jack! My other Crista, take down Gale Vesper! Faywon, get rid of Deathmatch Beetle! Bernine, destroy a Juranail!"

Ken was impressed. Hajime had evolved a lot since last time. Usually those slow attack bends were easily dealt with by his early spam of fatty creatures and then when his opponent was out of creatures, Ken would just go for the win with a mass swarm. But now his friend had an ace up his sleeve, and boy did that White Night creature turn the tables around. Truly he did not regret the decision of having a quick duel before the bus arrived.

"This is far from over, I cast Jumbo Rapadise and reveal the top 4 cards of my deck, I'll take all creatures with power 12000 or more to my hand," the brunette said and showed the cards. "Kirikami Panzer! Kolencoco Tank! Xenoxemitsu! Deathmatch Beetle! All go to my hand!"

"My turn. Because I have more than two other creatures, I untap Ka Doubler. Then I summon Wonder Turtle, Great Labyrinth Turtle." Hajime placed another strong Metallica into the battle zone. "With its Labyrinth effect, if I have more shields than you, until the start of my next turn all of my creatures don't leave the battle zone!"

"Heh, so I guess it's time for a full-out attack, ey?"

"Exactly – White Night, double break his shields!"

Ken checked his shields and shook his head.

"Ka Doubler, double break his shields!"

Once again Ken took two shields to his hand and shook his head.

"Bernine, break his final shield!"

A smile appeared on Ken's face as he revealed the last shield and said:

"Shield trigger activate, I cast Revolution Taiman! With its effect, your creatures can't attack me until the start of my next turn!"

"Alright then, it's your move." Hajime passed.

Ken clenched his fists. His opponent simply had too many creatures for him to do anything anymore. Even a quick spam would have been useless, and Moai Land sending three shields of Hajime's to the mana zone would not have helped much either. Such a thing had never happened before, but in a way he was grateful for that. A drop of sweat fell down his face as he charged mana and ended his turn there. His opponent then spoke excitedly, "Very well then, it's my turn. Wonder Turtle, todomeda!"

And thus Hajime was the victor. The blond blinked as he witnessed the defeated one pack his cards. He exclaimed, "I don't believe it… once in a blue moon I manage to win!"

"And here you were going to puss out on me." Ken stuck his tongue out.

"That was unexpected, I never thought this deck could resist your giant creature spamming. But I guess I was just lucky." Hajime shrugged as he also packed his cards.

"I should get going, the bus is here."

"Alright, see you tomorrow!"

As he watched his best friend run away from the park, he could not help but crack a smile. Despite the occasional banter between them, especially when it came to that card game, he knew that deep inside they both cared and wanted to help each other evolve. Walking out into the loneliness of the night city, he began to wonder how his life would have looked like if he did not have someone like Ken.

Hajime woke up early on the next morning, in the comfort of his bed's cotton sheets. That rest was more than satisfying. He felt pumped up and ready to go face that busy day of college like it was nothing. As he got out of bed, he received a phone call from Ken, which he quickly answered, "Good morning."

A mocking response followed, "Look who woke up with the roosters."

"Eat a dick!" Hajime laughed.

"Listen, dude, my roomies are all going home for the weekend, meaning that I'll have the dorm room all to myself."

"Really? That's awesome!"

"Yeah, so I was wondering if you'd like to hang out at my place, play some video games, watch some movies, order a pizza, you know… a chill weekend."

"Oh yeah, count me the fuck in!"

"Awesome! I'm at the snack bar now, so I'll be early in class. Do you want me to keep a seat for you?"

"Sure thing, see you there."

And thus Ken hung up. An exciting fun weekend awaited both of them, what more could go better? Quickly, Hajime began stripping himself of his turquoise pajamas that matched his turtleneck sweater as he headed to his room's bathroom.

Soon he felt the warmness of shower water pour down his slender body as he cleansed himself. He was wondering what sort of video games Ken had in mind, seeing how he was a guy who always liked challenges. Were they some difficult platformers, shooters or even something logic-based like puzzles, tetris or quizzes? Whatever it would have been, he was sure that they would have lots of fun. Besides, he spent most of his weekends at the mansion with his grandmother, usually locked up in his room with books and internet to keep him company. Changing up his routine every once in a while seemed like a good idea.

As he dried himself with a towel, he suddenly had a short vision of a floating dark purple gem with hands and a red eye in its center. The gem was staring at him, almost as if it was calling him. He could have sworn that he had seen it somewhere before. The boy walked out of the bathroom and went to his desk, where he had his deck along with other Light civilization cards lying scattered. He noticed that one of the cards was glowing weakly for a moment until he set his sight on it fully. Picking it, he saw that it depicted the same gem in his vision, reading its name solemnly, "Ov Sidia…"

Maybe the creatures were not gone forever, as everyone else thought. He considered talking to his grandmother about Duel Masters one day when he had spare time. Maybe he needed to know more about the game.

Breakfast was waiting for him in the dining room when he went downstairs all dressed up. On the table were a finely made omelet with ham and cheese, tomato salad, a slice of buttered toast with jam and a glass of warm chocolate milk.

Tsugumi Shirayama was a woman in her early seventies. Her once blonde hair now grayed, she kept it in a long ponytail. Her body covered by a red sweater and yellow dress, she walked inside the mansion with a pair of comfortable slippers. Her beautiful blue eyes remained unchanged from her youth, yet they were covered by a pair of glasses. Usually she would have greeted her grandson with a smile and a hush to eat the meal she had prepared, but on that morning she did not. Tsugumi stood by the window, aloof and worried, looking into the distance.

"Good morning." Hajime broke the awkward silence.

"Oh…" She turned to him and put on a smile. "Good morning, sweetheart. Breakfast's ready."

"Is something wrong?" the boy asked as he took a seat at the table.

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking about stuff." Tsugumi brushed off his masked concerns. "You should finish your meal quickly, or else you'll be late for school."

"Understood."

Ten minutes later, he picked up his backpack and ran out the door. She watched as he exited the yard's gates, after which she reactivated the security system.

"He's back, I know it, I can feel it," she uttered to herself and turned to a cell phone lying near her computer. "Please, answer my calls…"

Hajime arrived at college in the nick of time, five minutes before the courses started. When he entered the classroom, he had the surprise of not seeing Ken anywhere. Thinking that he was late or pulling some kind of stupid prank, he went to his unoccupied seat and prepared his laptop and notebook.

More hours had passed and there was still no sign of his best friend. That was strange, although Ken was not the most enthusiastic of students; he was always present at courses, even when he caught a cold. At lunch time he went to the cafeteria and asked some of their common friends about him, only to be answered that none had seem him the whole day. Deep inside, Hajime was starting to get a little worried, but he brushed it off with thoughts of Ken having some other plans for that day. Maybe he was preparing things for their weekend together. But it was Tuesday, he had plenty of time for that…

All of a sudden, a scream echoed in the cafeteria, startling everyone. It came from the cook, who was breathing heavily and staring in disbelief at the chicken stew container which he had just opened. A few students rushed to him and all backed down in terror, a few gasped, others covered their mouths. Hajime made his way through the small crowd, pushing a few peers aside until he reached the source of everyone's dread. And then his blood turned cold and his heart's beats slowed. Time itself seemed to have stopped for him.

Ken's head floated in the chicken stew, a look of pure fear on his dead eyes, his mouth open wide. Before Hajime could even process what was going on, another scream echoed, this time from the kitchen, turning everyone's attention to it. Above the electric stove, Ken's decapitated body was found hung upside down from the ceiling with a wire tying the feet, his torso ripped open and his guts hanging out. Sheer terror filled everyone who witnessed the gruesome scene, some rushing to call the authorities.

From the darkness of the shadows, two glowing red dots witnessed everything with glee.


	3. Lines are drawn

Demon Subaru was trying his best not to chuckle as he stood hidden in the kitchen's shadows. It was all coming back to him: the adrenaline rush, the actual joy of stalking prey. He had thoroughly relished every moment of his very first murder since he returned to Earth. It had been so long since he last felt the scent of blood, let alone tasted it. Truly he was lost in the euphoria of madness he so craved.

But deep inside something was bothering him. The way he disposed of that kid was not swift enough, it was almost like how a wild animal mauled its unsuspecting prey that it had stalked for a good amount of time. This human incarnation that he gained, it was not as strong as the body he had once possessed. But why? Was it a mere copy? Or maybe it was incomplete due to the nature of his evil spirit?

Shaking those concerns off, he returned to more practical issues. If he were caught then and there, he wouldn't be able to put up a fight with the entirety of them, so for the moment he decided to remain hidden and do a few more murders in order to regain his strength. Fortunately, he had snatched a sleeveless hooded black jacket from a store before he began any of his murders, so at the very least his identity was concealed.

But still, he needed to feed off of their negative emotions of fear, sorrow and wrath to grow his power, as well as off of their bodies to sustain himself. Of one thing he was sure, he was not connected anymore to that pesky human he had once taken over, and for that he was grateful. At the very least he was independent.

His attention returned to the gruesome scene in the cafeteria. He watched how a blond kid tried to get to the corpse, only to be stopped by the kitchen staff. The same kid then witnessed how the paramedics took the bloodied mess of a body and placed it on a gurney, covering it quickly with black sheets. As they took it away, that boy burst into sobbing, his colleagues trying their best to console him. Yes, those tears were so delightful.

Soon enough, the police arrived and began investigating the entire campus area. Courses were suspended for the rest of that day, but the students were not allowed to leave until they were all interrogated at the dean's office in order for the authorities to find out more about the victim. Demon Subaru watched said interrogations from the comfortably safe spot of the vent. Most of them were boring, as the majority of those interviewed knew little to nothing about the kid he murdered. But then the blond one came in, and that was when his interest piqued.

"State your name," the policeman who sat on the dean's seat sternly demanded.

"Hajime Shirayama," the student answered and sat down in front of him.

"Let's make this quick, son. Did you know the victim?"

"He was my best friend."

A gleam appeared in the eyes of the man, finally he had a lead. Another question followed, "Did he have any enemies?"

"No." Hajime shook his head. "He was a little hotheaded and…" The young one suppressed a sob. "…and sometimes he annoyed a few people. But that's it."

"Did he deal with illegal drugs or other shady things?"

"No, he was a normal guy." He defended his friend, and then memories of their times together began to flood, causing him to clench his trembling fist and speak in a shaking voice. "H-he liked sports… and video games. He j-just wanted… to have fun."

"Then there has to be something. Nobody would do such a thing to him unless it was personal."

"I don't know. He hung out with normal students. He had nothing to do with gangs."

"I see." The policeman quickly took some notes. "We'll contact his parents tonight. Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"Yes, if you find anything about the one who did it, please inform me," Hajime asked with a determined look in his blue eyes.

"I don't know about that. Civilians aren't allowed in police business."

"With all due respect, officer, I will not let such a thing pass by. I swear that I'll find whoever did that to Ken and bring them to justice!"

"This is real life, not Law & Order. Just go home and stay safe, son."

Hajime gave a small groan and got up to leave. He did not like the fact that he was belittled just because he was a mere civilian. He also wished to be involved in the case, and he would in one way or another, for he would not find rest until he managed to avenge his best friend.

Demon Subaru witnessed the entire scene with a large grin on his face. So Hajime was the name of that kid. He liked the boy's determination and decided to keep an eye on him in the future. But for the time being, the fear and despair of that college was empowering his body, which was all he needed in order to fully get back on his feet. Soon he would turn that building into his first base, from which his true conquest would begin.

Later, as the fall of evening approached, he had explored every inch of the college campus and managed to make a mental map. Thus he waited for the police vehicles to leave the area, after which he cleverly snuck out by the air vent, falling right into a bush. Blending with the shadows, he made his way through the darkness, exiting the campus site and seeking refuge in a nearby alleyway.

His back against a concrete wall, he stared at the starry sky and wondered what his next move was going to be. Obviously he needed to kill a few more humans in order to gain power, but after that he had to take a crucial step. He tried recalling his previous plan, the one which had somehow failed. The vortex which sucked reality itself, the power to take that which was destroyed and remake it however you pleased. Yes, that was possible, through a creature which had attained the power of all five civilizations. But not just any creature, it was a dragheart, one composed of five other cards. Then it dawned on him – that dragheart had been separated upon his defeat. Closing his eyes, he tried to mentally get in contact with it once again.

"All Over The World…" he called it out in his thoughts.

A vision came. He saw this imposing titanic being created from five buildings. It was floating in the vastness of space, but its main humanoid body stared him right in the eyes. And then it broke into five pieces, each of them becoming a card that went to a human. But he knew those humans all too well, they had managed to defeat him and foil his master plan way back, and oh how he hated them for that. So now the pieces were in their possession.

How sweet…

All of a sudden, he was awoken from the vision as he felt another presence in the alleyway. Looking around, he spotted a mugger in his late thirties, wearing rugged clothes. The man pulled out a pocket knife and approached him menacingly, saying, "Alright, hand all da money and I'll let ya go."

The fool clearly did not know who he was up against. A small smile exposed a couple of sharp fangs. Demon Subaru pulled off the hood and turned to greet him, staring at him with his black and red eyes.

"Woah, what bullshit cosplay convention rejected ya?" Was the grunt's initial reaction, but he was not swayed by the odd appearance and came up close to him, the knife now positioned between them. "Didncha hear me, pal? Gimme yer cash now!"

Demon Subaru grabbed his hand, tightening his grip as to have the thief let go of the weapon.

"Da fuck yer doin'?!" he shouted and punched him in the face, hard.

The devilish one did not expect that. His body was still weak as a human's and he felt pain. Rolling on the ground, he bumped into a metallic trash bin. The mugger lashed at him, and before he could look up, the knife's blade sank into his left shoulder. Demon Subaru let out an inhuman hissed wail as blood squirted out of the fresh wound.

"Alright, we're doin' this da hard way," he arrogantly stated as he pulled out the blade and now placed it at the wounded one's chin. "Ya should've listened ta me."

Was this really how he was going to end – at the mercy of a lowlife nobody? Was his struggle to return to that world in vain? No, he would not allow that! Rage began to fill his heart, and then his survival instincts bumped in, his eyes fixated at the attacker's smug face, his throat growling like a wildcat. All of a sudden, Demon Subaru's nails grew into sharp claws and he slashed the sharp weapon in half.

"Wha…" The thief was taken aback by the lack of a blade in his hand.

In the very next moment, the clawed hands grabbed his neck and he was lifted a bit above his would-be victim's head.

"Ya picked da wrong target, pal," the angered hiss resounded and then the claws slowly began to pierce the neck's skin.

The tables turned, the now terrified mugger looked around for something, anything to save him from the impending fate. Soon he saw the cards sticking out of a jean pocket, and he found the strength to mutter, "Y-yer a duelist?"

The short answer came and the claws continued their journey of piercing the skin, "None of your business."

"I-I ch-challenge ya… ta a duel…" He reached for something in his jacket and took out a deck of cards.

And then the miracle happened, he dropped on the ground, landing hard on his butt. With his free hand he felt his neck, despite a few small marks there was no actual wound. Looking up, he saw that the other took out his deck as well, which glowed purple, much to his surprise. Two dueling tables suddenly arose from the earth, almost as if they were called upon.

"Come," Demon Subaru coldly invited him as he went to one of them and placed his cards.

The mugger would have considered making a run for it, but a gut feeling told him that he would have been swiftly followed and caught, so he complied and went to the other table, setting his cards. Much to his surprise, five teal colored rectangles appeared above both of them, prompting him to ask, "Now what's this?"

"This is a real duel," his opponent answered.

"Dat's impossible! Dem creatures ain't been around here fer fifty years!" the criminal reasoned.

"How pathetic… Well then, I am here to bring them back. Duel start!"

And thus began their match.

"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." A humanoid with cowboy features and a giant reptile skeleton on its right arm appeared by Demon Subaru's side.

"A creature…" The mugger's jaw dropped. "Right, ma turn, I summon Bagin 16, First Squad." A cyclops with purple skin, clothed only by a green hospital pajama, his head covered by a black hood and his hands replaced with chainsaws, appeared by the man's side, much to his awe. So he could summon creatures in the real life as well!

"BloodRayne reduces her cost, so I summon Jenny, the Dismantling Doll."

A puppet with long white hair and red eyes, wearing a black and red dress as well as wielding a razor blade, appeared next to the cowboy humanoid and forced the mugger to reveal his hand. The cards in it were Gurudo 54, Dragon Armored, Rudolf Carnac, Babylon Gelg and Jari, Misfortune Demon 27. Demon Subaru took the time to read the effects and then he licked his fangs, uttering, "Keh, so you're playing a new kind of Mono Darkness Control. I like that. Discard Jari!" With one slash from Jenny's razor, the card fell into its owner's graveyard.

"Ya like discards, I'll give ya a bunch of those too – I summon Hemoglo, Demonic Doctor." A blue skinned blond bat-like doctor with a giant syringe under his right arm appeared and stuck his snake-like tongue out in expectation. "With Hemoglo's effect, ya choose and discard a card." The thief pointed at his opponent, who casually tossed Ninjariban, Dragon Edge into his graveyard. "Yer move."

"I summon Vader, Dark Armor." A knight in a metallic pale brown armor, with a horned skeletal helmet and wielding a shield, appeared. "At the end of my turn I activate Vader's effect and send the top card of my deck into the graveyard. If it's a creature, I draw a card." The top card was Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation, meaning that he could draw.

"I can do draws just as good!" the man protested. "I summon Rudolf Carnac." An elegantly dressed black skinned humanoid with a horned white head and a floating red cape appeared and then grabbed the doctor with its black hands and strangled him until he disappeared. "With Rudolf Carnac's effect, I destroy Hemoglo and draw two cards. Then I end ma turn and if Hemoglo was destroyed during it, I can revive him!" The bat doctor once more returned and stuck out its tongue, the surprised demonic opponent giving a silent groan as he tossed Black Psycho, Revenge into the graveyard.

Much to his dismay, his next draw was not as good, so he charged mana and used Vader's effect once more, School Man landing in his graveyard and allowing him to draw.

"It's time to spice things up a little, I evolve Rudolf Carnac into Stomak, Electric Killer!" The fancy humanoid got enveloped by a purple aura and grew into a tall pink skinned doctor with two giant metallic fists and two syringes on its back. "When I put him into da battle zone, each of yer creatures gets -2000 power!" The doctor punched his fists and electroshocks went towards the opposing creatures, destroying BloodRayne and Jenny. "Then I attack with Stomak and return Jari from da graveyard ta ma hand, now go, double break his shields!" Heeding the order, the doctor pulled out both syringes and shot a pink liquid upon two opposing shields, melting them. "Bagin 16, break a shield as well!" Another attack order came and the cyclops patient jumped and cut one of the shields in half with his chainsaw hands.

A fanged smile came as the opponent took that card into his hand and then he revealed it to his opponent.

"Shield trigger activate, I summon Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor!" A horned knightly figure with a red cape and a large scythe appeared. "With his effect I destroy Stomak!"

Death Hands jumped at the pink doctor, who at first avoided him and then pulled out the syringes once more, shooting that liquid at him. The smaller creature avoided Stomak's attacks and went closer to him, and just as he was going to crush it with his metallic fists, the scythe cut him in half.

"Why ya lil… Hemoglo, break his shield!" The last attacking order came and the bat doctor aimed his syringe at one of the shields and shot a green liquid upon it, melting it as well. "I end here."

Things did not look good for Demon Subaru, seeing as he had just one shield left, but he would not give up that easily.

"I summon two Hell Mission, Dark Armor," he said and two purple armored knights, each wielding a shield and a sword, the symbol of a fist within a star on their shields, appeared. "Death Hands, destroy Hemoglo!" he ordered and the creature lashed at the other doctor, who did not have the time to defend himself with the syringe as he was swiftly cut in half with the scythe. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Magnum, Allshot Doll fell into his graveyard and he drew.

"Dat Hell Mission thing has Shield Saver. Yer becoming desperate ta defend yerself, ey?" The mugger smiled at his opponent who stared at him in silence. "Very well, it's time fer ya ta see one of ma trump cards – I summon Mukade, Asura!" he shouted and a giant cherry-colored centipede dressed as a doctor and wielding a syringe, a chainsaw, a knife and a skull in its four main limbs appeared by his side. "With Mukade's effect, I give -9000 ta one of yer Hell Missions and destroy it!" he said and watched how the centipede used the chainsaw to cut one of the small knights.

"When Hell Mission leaves the battle zone, I destroy one of your untapped creatures, so I target Mukade," Demon Subaru announced and the fallen knight's sword went straight into the centipede's heart, causing the creature to explode.

"Ya shouldn't have done that!" The thief giggled excitedly. "When Mukade, Asura is destroyed, I can revive it and put it in da battle zone tapped!" He enjoyed the surprised look on his opponent's face as the giant centipede resurrected itself and then went for the other small purple knight and destroyed it as well.

"Tsh, with my other Hell Mission's effect I destroy your Bagin 16," the devilish one announced and a second sword went into the patient's chest, disposing of him as well.

Demon Subaru did not like the situation at all. Another dead draw that he placed into the mana zone. Now he was at the mercy of that reviving creature which kept reducing the power of his own. Maybe Vader would give him something good. He placed BloodRayne, Start Dash into the graveyard from the top of his deck and drew.

"Haha, now it's time fer ya to see ma other trump card!" his opponent announced. "I summon Jari, Misfortune Demon 27 and with its effect I put da top 2 cards of ma deck into da graveyard and return Bagin 16 ta ma hand. Then I summon 2 Bagin 16, First Squad," A small blue robot wielding a shovel appeared along with the two cyclops patients. "Then I destroy all 4 of ma creatures and summon Georges Bataille fer free!"

One by one, all of the creatures exploded, and from the smoke emerged a tall humanoid dressed in an elegant purple robe and having a grey hat cover his dark face from which only the shining red eyes were distinguished. The creature pulled out a hammer and a nail and focused at the opponent.

"Since I have 9 cards in ma graveyard, Georges Bataille puts the top 9 cards of ma deck into da graveyard!" the mugger explained. "Then I revive Mukade, Asura and give -9000 power ta ya Vader!" Thus the centipede was revived as well and its knife pierced the other knight's armor, ending him as well. "Now both ma trump cards are in da battle zone and der's nothing ya can do about dat! If ya try to destroy Mukade, he'll just come back. If ya try to get rid of Georges Bataille in any way, I'll just send 6 cards from ma graveyard to da bottom of ma deck and he'll stay! Next turn yer done fer, freak!"

Backed into a corner, Demon Subaru began to feel the excitement of dueling once again after all that time. His right hand was then enveloped by a purple aura as he placed it on the top of his deck, saying, "You brought out your trump cards? Let me do the same!"

And then he drew his next card, quickly placing it into the battle zone.

"I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge!" A purple wolf plush toy with dragon wings and horns, wearing short pants, a black coat, brown boxing gloves with blue spikes and an orange mask covering the upper part of its face appeared in the battle zone, wielding a red bone scythe. "With Hellborof's effect I put the top 2 cards of my deck into the graveyard." Savage, Forbidden U and Falconer, Lightfang Ninja landed into his graveyard. "Then I bring Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace from the hyperspatial zone into the battle zone!"

"H-hyperspatial zone?!" the thief repeated, in shock. "Dem hyperspatial cards ain't been released in ages!"

"Now isn't that a shame?" Demon Subaru smirked as Hellborof used his scythe to create a hole in the sky, out of which a winged palace descended. "With Welcome Hell's effect I revive a Darkness creature that costs 5 or less, so I revive Hell Mission," he announced and the purple knight reappeared. "I end here."

"Oh no, I ain't standing fer this. I summon Gurudo 54, Dragon Armored." A creature wearing a brown dragon's fossil appeared, wielding a large chainsaw. "With Gurudo 54's effect, I destroy ma Mukade and yer Hell Mission," The creature then thrust its chainsaw into the centipede, and after it finished the cutting process it turned to the purple knight and ended its life once more.

"Hell Mission's effect, I destroy Georges Bataille." The hissed response came and the knight's sword went at the tall elegant creature, only to be slapped away.

"Georges Bataille's effect, I send 6 cards from ma graveyard ta da bottom of ma deck and he stays! Then I revive Mukade, Asura and give -9000 ta Hellborof!" The centipede reappeared and grabbed the wolf plush with its limbs and crushed it to death. "Georges Bataille, break his final shield!" The attack order came and the creature swung its hammer and smashed away the last opposing shield.

Demon Subaru took the card to his hand and his smile grew wider. The joy of dueling was becoming unbearable at that point and he let out a hissed laugh.

"Kehehehehe, shield trigger activate, I cast Inferno Sign and revive Hellborof!" The wolf plush toy reappeared and made BloodRayne, Start Dash and Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie fall into the graveyard. "I equip Hellborof with Go To Hell, Annihilator Blade and its effect revives Ninjariban, Dragon Edge!" A blue ninja plush with white hair followed. "With Ninjariban's effect, I bring out Demon Wolf, Soul Eating Moonlight Castle from the hyperspatial zone into the battle zone!" Another hole in the sky appeared and out of it descended a dark blue castle that was shaped like a wolf in a howling position. "I start my turn and since I have 2 or more Darkness creatures… Dragsolution! Demon Wolf flips to Minagorosseo, Wolf Demon Dragon!" The castle grew four limbs and got up, giving a loud howl. "Minagorosseo gives slayer to each of my creatures. And now I expand Haridelberg, Hell of D!"

"Ya have D2 Fields too?!" the man exclaimed.

A metallic skull landed in the battle zone and caused dozens upon dozens of spikes to arise from the ground.

"Ninjariban, attack Georges Bataille and Welcome Hell shall revive Vader!" The shielded knight with a skull helmet reappeared.

In that moment, the mugger guessed his plan easily: now that his creatures were slayers, Georges Bataille would empty his own graveyard and then get destroyed. Unfortunately for him, he could not do much to prevent that and he watched how his purple robed creature disposed of the blue ninja plush toy, saying:

"I return 6 cards, Georges Bataille stays!"

"Since one of my creatures was destroyed, Haridelberg gives -4000 to Gurudo 54. Hellborof, attack Georges Bataille and Go To Hell revives Ninjariban with Migawari, Nightmare Swastika!" The blue ninja reappeared, now wielding a red shuriken. "Welcome Hell also revives Savage, Forbidden U!" A faceless grey humanoid with a black cape followed. "With Savage's effect I put the top card of my deck into the graveyard and return a creature to my hand." Death Hands went into the graveyard and Falconer went to the owner's hand.

The wolf plush flew at the purple robed humanoid and tried slashing him, but he was slapped away as well.

"I return 6 cards, Georges Bataille stays!" the grunt repeated.

"Haridelberg gives another -4000 to Gurudo 54 and destroys it!" A couple of spikes surrounded the creature wearing a dragon fossil and impaled it. "Minagorosseo, attack Georges Bataille and S-Rank Invasion "Zombie", I evolve him into Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie from the graveyard!" The wolf castle rushed at the purple robed creature next, but this time it grew in size and turned into a dark purple robot with red eyes and fangs, two motorcycle wheels on its shoulders, another in its left hand, and a red cape on its back. "Deadzone's effect, I give -9000 to Georges Bataille and then in battle it will be destroyed!" Thus the robot swiftly grabbed the tall robed figure and thrust him into the ground so hard that he exploded. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Ninjariban fell into the graveyard and he drew.

Now it was the human who was backed into a corner. But he still had a trump card out and that one could not leave the battle zone easily. Now all that he had to do was to get rid of the pesky blocker and win.

"I summon Rudolf Carnac and destroy Mukade ta draw 2 cards." The elegant white headed humanoid reappeared and the centipede exploded, but then quickly reemerged. "Mukade is revived and I give -9000 ta Vader!" The skull knight met its fate by the needle of a syringe.

"Haridelberg gives -4000 to Rudolf Carnac." Another pair of spikes impaled the smaller opposing creature.

"I summon Hemoglo, Demonic Doctor." The blue bat doctor reappeared and the opponent discarded Jenny, the Dismantling Doll.

That D2 Field was a true inconvenience for the mugger, but unfortunately he had no way to remove it. His only hope was to achieve a direct attack with Mukade, Asura and get the match over with.

"I summon another Savage, Forbidden U." A second faceless caped humanoid appeared and Magnum, Allshot Doll went to the graveyard, the owner returning Vader, Dark Armor and the skull knight reappearing in the battle zone. "Then I summon Vader again. Deadzone, triple break his shields!" The dark purple robot rushed at the opponent and thrust his arms into three shields.

"Shield trigger, I cast Demon Wolf, Howling Moonlight Castle and give -3000 power to Savage!" the criminal said and a pair of blue wolves devoured one of the faceless humanoids.

"Haridelberg's effect, I give -4000 to Hemoglo." A new pair of spikes stabbed the blue doctor.

"Then Mana Arms 5, I destroy Vader as well!" The blue wolves then attacked the knight, finishing him as well.

"Ninjariban, attack and Welcome Hell revives Vader, break his shield!" The knight once more arose from death and the ninja tossed his red shuriken into another shield, leaving the opponent with just one. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Time Tripper went into the graveyard and the owner drew.

"Alright, I've had enough of yer bullshit!" the man snapped. "I summon Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and destroy Vader!" A second scythe wielding knight creature appeared, this time by his side, and it slashed the opposing knight wielding a shield, only to meet its own end by the D2 Field's spikes.

"Haridelberg gives -4000 to Death Hands."

"Mukade, todomeda!" he ordered and the giant centipede lashed at the devilish teen.

That was it, he had finally won and his life was spared. Moments began to pass slower as he witnessed his creature approach the opponent, waiting for it to crush him for good. But then something unexpected happened, he heard a metallic clash and looked better. A small silvery plane was blocking its attack and exploded, pushing it away.

"Wha…?"

"Ninja Strike 4, I summon Falconer, Lightfang Ninja and block Mukade." Demon Subaru smirked as he tossed the Light card into his graveyard. "And now it's my turn, I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash. Ninjariban, attack and Welcome Hell evolves BloodRayne into Black Psycho, Revenge!" The cowboy humanoid reappeared and soon transformed into a dark purple skeletal demon wearing circus buffoon clothes and wielding a sword and a shield. "Black Psycho's effect discards the last 2 cards in your hand. Now go, Ninjariban, break his final shield!" The blue ninja plush toy tossed its red shuriken into the shield.

The mugger sweated as he checked his last shield and then he smiled with relief and showed it, saying:

"Shield trigger, I cast Babylon Gelg and destroy Black Psycho! Then super shield trigger, I put the top 3 cards of ma deck into da graveyard and revive Rudolf Carnac. I destroy Mukade, draw 2 cards and revive Mukade ta give -9000 ta Savage!"

"Keh, Haridelberg gives -4000 to Rudolf Carnac."

"Oh no…" the man's jaw dropped as he saw that now he had no more defenses.

"Deadzone, todomeda!" Demon Subaru ordered and then his opponent was punched hard by the dark purple robot, its force throwing him into a concrete wall, causing him to leave a small dent there.

The demonic one packed his cards and then he went to the man who had assaulted him and grabbed him tight by the shoulders. The victim slowly opened his eyes and he froze when he saw the cold stare from those shining red irises and that sadistic fang filled smile. His screams echoed in the alleyway as the claws tore through his body, pulling out his guts and internal organs.

When the monstrous killer was done, he washed himself with the victim's blood, ever so relieved by his first victory in a duel and the lovely smell of death. His shoulder wound had healed and his claws reverted to normal human nails. Yes, his powers were slowly coming back.

His bath was then interrupted when he felt something familiar, which prompted him to look outside the alleyway. Hajime had left college and was walking down the sidewalk all alone. With a grin on his face, Demon Subaru licked the blood off of his hands and followed the unsuspecting blond.


	4. Haunted

Lights glowed in the night's blackness, illuminating the now emptied park. The swings and slides seemed like dead people begging for someone to play on them in order to be resurrected. Not even the smallest of breezes did blow, there was no rustle from any tree nor any cricket chirping a shy requiem. Maybe that was why nobody dared to step inside even though it was still an early hour. What a silent and still place…

The rusted bench's painted steel felt awfully cold, even though his jeans were thick. A strange scent of wet leaves and grass persisted in the air, yet there were no signs of rain. It wasn't until that particular evening that he began to notice all those harsh truths of the park he used to frequent in his free time, and deep inside he wished he couldn't.

Hajime stared ahead at the dueling table, his eyes empty, his face devoid of emotion. He sat there all alone, still trying to take in the events of that day. It all happened so sudden, even though there were clues ahead that something was not right. He wondered if there was anything he could have done to prevent what had happened. Perhaps he should have gotten out of bed quicker to join his friend for a breakfast at the snack bar, it wasn't that far from where he lived, maybe if they were together, both of them could have fought back against the killer and nothing bad would have happened. Almost by instinct, he got up and placed his deck on the table, in a vain hope that maybe that would have made Ken suddenly appear in front of him, all safe, and everything would have been just a nightmare.

Nothing happened.

Staring at the stack of cards, it then dawned on him that something important was missing. It was as if a hole had been dug into his heart, one that he could not fill again no matter how hard he tried, and he had never felt such an awful sensation before. Yet, despite all this, the world would continue its normal pace, cold and uncaring to his loss, as it did countless times in the past. Life was truly cruel.

Trying to clear his mind of those thoughts, he recalled his final conversation with Ken. His friend was most likely killed on his way to college because there would have been too many witnesses on campus. That meant that the killer struck either at the snack bar or on the street, the latter being more plausible. And even if that was true, was the criminal a student at Sagakin University? Why else would they have dragged the body all the way to the cafeteria? Did they have a personal grudge against Ken? There were so many questions to which the blond desperately sought answers.

All of a sudden he froze awake with the indistinguishable feeling of certainty that he was being watched. He dared not turn around, although his eyes raced in all directions from where he stood, surveilling as much as they could. A hand landed hard on his shoulder, startling him. He jumped, turning around to find a handsome brunette guy about his age with joyous green eyes and a confident smile, wearing a red cowboy suit, having even the trademark hat.

"Jack Thornton?" Hajime asked after sighing with relief.

"I sure hope I wasn't bothering you or anything, partner," Jack replied, a small hint of a Texan accent in his voice.

"Just don't scare me like that," the blond bluntly instructed and pushed the other's hand off of his shoulder. "What do you want?"

"Why I just found out about what happened at the cafeteria and I came looking all over for you. This was really the last place I expected you to be at."

"Oh wow, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be at the place where I used to go with my best friend after classes." Hajime crossed his arms and turned away from Jack.

"Woah, don't take it like that, I just didn't know that you actually came here," the cowboy reasoned.

"Of course not, it's not like we have anything in common."

"Now hold it right there, you know very well how our grandmas-"

"I get it," the blond abruptly interrupted, slightly exasperated as if he had had that same discussion before. "Our grandmothers were good friends as chosen duelists. But other than that, we share nothing in common. Besides, I was never a huge fan of Duel Masters, I only really played it with Ken," he concluded in a sorrowful tone.

"Look, I'm really sorry for your loss," Jack confessed. "I just came here because I wanted to let you know that if you need anything-"

"I'd sooner seek a therapist." Hajime rolled his eyes and then turned back to the dueling table. "If that's all you have to say, then I think we're done here."

That passive aggressiveness was beginning to annoy the cowboy, who raised his voice, "Don't you dare give me the cold shoulder like I don't know shit!"

"What now?" the blond groaned, growing more and more irritated.

"Just because you lost your best buddy doesn't mean you can treat others like they're garbage!" Then he calmed down a bit. "And besides, I wanted to tell you that granny Rita's got an idea about what's going on, but you were too caught up in your mourning."

"She does…?" Hajime turned back to him, his curiosity now etched. "What exactly is going on?"

"Now that I've got your attention…" Jack smirked and took out his deck from his pants' pocket. "Beat me in a duel to find out!"

"If this is just a ploy to get a duel out of me…"

"It's not, I promise."

Hajime pull his deck out of the backpack and placed it on the table, his opponent doing the same. Both set their cards and began their match. The sooner it all ended, the better. Hajime did need more alone time with his thoughts.

"I cast Jojojo Jokers." Jack tossed the spell in his graveyard. "With its effect I check the top 4 cards of my deck and take a Jokers creature to my hand. I'll take Yattareman."

"Wait a minute, those cards a white. Are they from the Zero civilization?" Hajime asked as he looked better at the one card in his opponent's graveyard and the other from his mana zone.

"Jokers civilization," the cowboy corrected him and pointed at the small J symbol on the card's mana number indicator. "It's colorless like the Zero civilization. My granny gave me these new cards on my birthday because she thinks they suit me more."

"Hah, interesting," the blond replied as he charged mana and ended.

"I summon Yattareman." Jack placed a card that depicted a purple humanoid like creature with a trumpet for a mouth and a pair of drums hung at its chest. "With its effect, my Jokers all cost 1 mana less."

"Good support, let me show you mine – I summon Crista, First Squad. With its effect, my Metallica also cost 1 mana less."

"A Light counterpart? Now this'll be a cool match. My move, Yattareman reduces its cost, so I summon Pali Nights for 2 mana," The brunette put the card depicting a partier with a white suit and a disco ball head on the table. "With the effect of Pali Nights, I put Jojojo Jokers from the graveyard into my mana zone. Then for 2 more mana I summon Tutankhanen," He also put out the card of a safe with the head of a sarcophagus on its top. "With Tutakhanen's effect I draw a card. I end."

"Three creatures in three turns, not bad. Crista reduces his cost, so I summon Bernine, Dragon Armored and draw a card. Turn end."

"I cast another Jojojo Jokers… and take Pali Nights to my hand. Then I summon a second Pali Nights and send Jojojo Jokers to my mana zone."

"You're keeping your hand and mana steady; you must be building up for something. Whatever it is, I am not going to make it easy for you! I summon Amber, Strange Stone and with its effect I tap your Yattareman and it can't untap at the start of your next turn," Hajime announced as he placed the card depicting the creature made of orange gems. "Bernine lets me draw a card. Then I also summon Faywon, Green Silver and tap it to draw a card. Bernine also lets me draw again. Now, Bernine, destroy Yattareman!"

"You were right, I was building up for something, and that's my trump card! My turn, I summon Jolly the Johnny!" Jack excitedly revealed the card he just drew, showing a robotic cowboy wearing red clothes and riding a robotic horse.

"Jolly the Johnny…?"

"Yup, he's a speed attacker and master double breaker, meaning that he'll destroy one of your creatures before each shield break. Also, while I have 5 or more Jokers in my battle zone and mana zone, he can't be blocked and after the attack if you have no more shields and creatures, I win the game!"

"Woah…"

"Exactly, now go, Jolly the Johnny, double break his shields!"

"I untap Faywon and redirect Jolly's attack to itself!"

"Now isn't that a bummer. Oh well, Tutankhanen, break his shield! Pali Nights, break his shield! My other Pali Nights, break his shield! I end."

One by one, Hajime took the three shields to his hand and frowned at the fact that they were not shield triggers. Still, if he managed to stall that Jolly the Johnny, he would be able to avoid that deadly master double breaker.

"I evolve Crista into Shouten, Stellar Guidance." Hajime placed the new card depicting a warrior made of sapphire and wielding an emerald sword upon Crista. "I draw from Bernine. Now, Amber, destroy Tutankhanen! Shouten, destroy Pali Nights! Bernine, destroy the other Pali Nights! Turn end."

"Alright, my turn then, I-"

"Wait, since Shouten is tapped at the start of your turn, I bring out Wonder Turtle, Great Labyrinth Turtle into the battle zone tapped!" The blond summoned the gem turtle with a labyrinth on its shell, after which he signaled to his opponent to do his turn.

"Now I didn't expect that big of a comeback." Jack then shook his head rapidly. "I mean, I summon Dotsuki Manjiro and send Wonder Turtle to the bottom of your deck! Jolly, break his final shields!"

"Shouten's effect, I untap him and redirect the attack to Amber. I'm guessing it's my move now," the blond brought up and his opponent shortly nodded. "Good, I summon Amber, Strange Stone and freeze Jolly the Johnny. Bernine lets me draw. Then I cast Shine Arrow to tap Dotsuki Manjiro and draw a card. Lastly I summon Ka Doubler, Red Attack Silver tapped and draw again from Bernine. Shouten, destroy Dotsuki Manjiro! Turn end."

"My-"

"Shouten is tapped at the start of your turn, so I bring out White Night, Edge of Yin Yang tapped into the battle zone and add a shield. Now with its Labyrinth effect, since I have more shields then you, my Metallicas win all battles until the start of my next turn!"

Jack silently groaned, he was starting to get annoyed by how well Hajime was controlling the battle zone. For someone who claimed he played Duel Masters only as a pass time hobby, he sure was pretty skilled.

"I summon Danganoh, Super Special Q and with his effect I can attack you right away!" Jack brought out the card showing a robot made out of blue trains. "Go, Danganoh, break his final shields!"

"Shouten's effect, I untap him and redirect your attack to himself. Danganoh dies."

"Darn it, turn end," the cowboy spat.

"Perhaps you should have better skipped to the part where you just told me what was going on. It would've been way more productive," the blond suggested nonchalantly.

"And miss all this fun? Hah, never!"

"Very well, I untap Ka Doubler. Then I summon two Andro Saver, Martyrdom Wings. Ka Doubler, double break his shields! White Night, double break his shields! Shouten, break his final shield!"

Now it was Jack's turn to take the shields to his hand, and he was not pleased at all to see that he had no shield triggers, at least not until the last one, which he quickly placed in the battle zone, saying, "Shield trigger, I summon Bainaradoor and send Bernine to the bottom of your deck! Now my move, I-"

"Shouten's effect, I bring out Wonder Turtle, Great Labyrinth Turtle tapped," Hajime once more interrupted him. "Now with Wonder Turtle's Labyrinth effect, my creatures can't leave the battle zone until the start of my next turn."

"Why you… I summon Yattareman and Helcopta. With Helcopta's effect, because I have 5 Jokers in the battle zone, I draw 5 cards. Now, Jolly the Johnny, double break his shields!" Jack desperately ordered.

"I untap Shouten and redirect the attack to Wonder Turtle, which destroys Jolly. Then since Wonder Turtle won a battle, I check the top 4 cards of my deck… and bring out Faywon, Green Silver. I tap Faywon and draw a card."

"Darn it all…" The cowboy lightly punched the table. "Bainaradoor, break his shield!"

"I untap Faywon and redirect the attack to Wonder Turtle. Bainaradoor gets destroyed and I use the effect again… to bring out Bernine and draw."

"I… end."

"Wonder Turtle, todomeda!" the blond gave the direct attack order, sealing his victory.

With the match finished, they both packed their cards, Jack then walking up to Hajime with a friendly smile, laughing.

"Haha, that was a great match, partner! I haven't seen such a good control deck in years."

"Thanks, I guess." Hajime shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets. "Now, what was it that your grandmother found out?"

"Oh right!" Jack snapped his fingers, almost as if he had forgotten the purpose of their duel. "Granny called earlier this day and said she's talked to your grandma Tsugumi about an old enemy of theirs, some kind of mass murdering psycho monster. Having in mind what happened today, they suspect that this thing might be back. Either way, she said we should stay safe because this is nothing to toy around with."

"I see. Thank you."

"Hey, how about we keep in touch, just in case something happens? I'd like to help you out."

"Alright, feel free to add me on Facebook, I'm Hajime Shirayama there."

"Got it, see you tomorrow then, dude!" Jack waved at him good bye and ran out of the park to catch the bus.

Now alone, Hajime sighed as he stared once more at the dueling table. Ken would have been so proud of the way he handled that Jokers deck.

Unbeknownst to him, in the shadows Demon Subaru was smiling widely. He chuckled silently to himself as he realized that time had passed and his former enemies now had grandchildren, meaning that they had aged and weakened. But he still had a young human body, and it was more than enough to gain sweet vengeance. Concluding that things were going to be easier than he expected, he ceased stalking Hajime and left the park as well.

Later at the Shirayama mansion, Tsugumi was growing more and more scared and paranoid after she saw on the news that a mugger had also been found brutally murdered, near the university grounds no less. _He_ did not answer her phone calls and emails as well, only serving to grow her fear.

"Good evening!" Hajime greeted as he took off his shoes.

"Have you heard of the news? There were two murders at your college today," Tsugumi instantly brought up.

"Wait, two?" The young one stopped in his tracks. "I thought Ken was the only victim."

"Whoever it is, you're not safe there at all," the old woman argued as she walked to him. "Hajime, you're not allowed to go back there, not until you better your dueling skills."

"What? Why? It's not as if that can save me from getting hacked into pieces!"

"You have no idea how wrong you are, child."

"How so? Is it because you think the one doing it is some killer monster from your past?"

"How did you know that?" His grandmother looked at him with a surprised expression.

"My frie- acquaintance Jack told me about your phone talk with Rita," the boy replied, standing his ground. "Now who is this so called monster exactly?"

"That is none of your concern," Tsugumi replied, although her hands began to shake.

"Are you alright?" Hajime asked.

"Your training begins tonight!" She was quick to change the subject.

"Wait, what?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't consent to any of th-"

"Hajime, you must become a better duelist, it's the only way for you to stand up against what's coming."

"Oh no, I'm not going to throw myself blindly into this, not until I get some actual answers from you!"

"Your grandma knows what's best, and now you aren't ready to handle the truth!"

"Is that so? Why? Because you can't stop coddling me like I'm still a baby?" Hajime raised his voice as he got into Tsugumi's face. "Newsflash, I'm 20 and I think I can handle things on my own!"

"You're letting Ken's death get to you," Tsugumi reasoned.

"Just like you're letting your fear of this killer get to you," her grandson retorted and ran upstairs to his room.

Sighing, Tsugumi walked back to her computer and phone, still waiting for a sign from _him_ and hoping from the bottom of her heart that he had nothing to do with the news of those horrifying murders. She knew they were all too old to handle the return of that nightmare, but the fact that their grandchildren were unprepared only made things worse.


	5. Down memory lane

Darkness surrounded the city's paths that were decorated with modest streetlights. The hour was not late yet, but the sidewalks were still desolated, bereft of the citizens which crossed them routinely. There was just one lonely pair of feet which echoed its steps discreetly in the dead of night.

Tap-tap. Tap-tap.

So simple and repetitive was the sound of walking, and in that complete silence of a cold autumnal night it seemed like a dull rhapsody which filled an even duller void.

And then under a dim light he saw something approach from the distance. It had slow speed, but it was nothing compared to his patience. He made the figures out to be two people, and the closer they got, the quicker he felt them better – a young couple, laughing, joking, possibly inebriated from the looks on their faces. Nonchalantly, they walked as if they danced a dizzy waltz, soon encountering the hooded figure waiting at the pole.

"Look at this loser sitting here all alone." The man pointed at him.

"Maybe he got dumped for sucking in bed," the woman suggested, giggling snidely.

"Not in a good way for sure," her lover added, both of them laughing even harder at the stranger's expense.

A single discreet growl snapped them to reality for a moment, causing both to look better at who they were mocking. The figure raised its head and pulled off the hood. Both froze in shock at the sight of those black eyes with red irises coupled with a fang filled grin. Nobody was there to hear their last screams as the fiend feasted on them.

That meal was satisfying. If they were more conscious, it would have been even better. As he was licking the blood off of his claws which reverted to human nails, Demon Subaru's trail of thoughts went back to All Over The World. He knew what was up with Hajime, now he had to track down the pieces of the dragheart before he would fully decide on what the right course of action was going to be. Covering his head with the hood once more and closing his eyes, he focused on letting go of his mind and calling it out.

Nothing but silence.

He stood in that vulnerable position for what seemed like forever and received no response. No, that could not happen! The previous time he tried it, that creature had answered his call. What was going on? And then, as if a mysterious force pulled him, he felt his feet begin to walk on their own. For some strange reason he could not find the power to open his eyes until his feet eventually stopped, and when he did, he saw himself in front of an electric sign which read in bright blue neon lights: Sagakin Children Hospital. Out of all the places to start finding answers, that was a rather peculiar one.

Nevertheless, he took off the hood and masked his face with human features. Then he pushed the doors open and entered the building. The first thing he did once inside was to blend with the shadows like a ninja, and that was exactly how he wandered the corridors. Soon he felt the power he had called for, and it was coming from upstairs, so he made his way while looking through the hospital staff and rooms filled with sick children. A long boring search of each inch of the building, thing which took way more time than he would have wanted, eventually led him to the last floor, where something peculiar was going on.

He heard laughter. Genuine amused laughter. It came from the first room on the left, which had its door opened. Standing against the wall, he peeked inside. A total of six kids each sat on their beds, some bandaged, others with intravenous tubes, and one was blowing his nose. In the middle of the room, a clown was juggling some toys masterfully, smiling at each of them behind his white painted face. He told jokes, beeped his nose, pulled out balloon animals from his sleeves and did basically any quick circus trick to brighten those kids' time there and make them forget about their illnesses and wounds.

Soon enough a clock's alarm went off, causing the children to moan with disappointment, for it announced that their entertainment was over. With a gracious bow, the clown smiled at them and picked up his toys. Upon him leaving, Demon Subaru sensed that a piece of All Over The World was in his possession, so he silently followed him downstairs and out of the hospital.

Edo Kanda had kept his cheery disposition even in his twilight years, thing easily reflected in his light brown eyes. It had always been his life philosophy that the simplest smile or laughter could help one cope with life's hardships, which was why he tried his best to cheer others up, even if it meant working poorly paid jobs like being a standup comedian or a clown. Sometimes he regretted having given up being an entertainer in Las Vegas, but all those sleepless nights started to wear on him around his late fifties, when the circles around his eyes became more pronounced, his hairline had receded all the way to the back of his scalp and his beer belly could no longer be hidden by fancy outfits, thing which led to him moving back to his hometown a decade and a half ago. In a way he missed Sagakin, not only for its calmer atmosphere suited to a shore city located in the middle of nowhere, but also because most of his old friends had moved back there upon retiring, so it seemed like the best choice to do the same, even if it meant less monetary opportunities, he had gained most of his fair share in Vegas for thirty years.

He now lived with his wife in a modest suburb house which was at about a ten-minute walk from the hospital. They could have afforded something better, sure, but he did not give up on his hobby of collecting anime merchandise and video games, especially of the VR kind, even at that late age. As he crossed the last street and entered his neighborhood, a ringtone featuring the song Caramelldansen jolted him awake from his thoughts and he searched his blue and yellow clown suit, eventually pulling out a cell phone which he immediately answered.

"Edo Kanda's the name, joking around is my game!" His smile grew bigger. "Hey there, Tsugi, what's up? I thought you'd come at my grill party this Sunday and-"

Suddenly he froze in his steps, the smile on his face completely faltering as his eyes stared ahead dumbfounded.

"You can't be serious…" he muttered. "Please, tell me you're joking. I know there's still six months till April Fools, but still-" He paused again and listened more carefully. "He hasn't answered any of your calls? This is very bad." He gulped. "Ok, ok, I'll try to contact him first thing in the morning. Take care!"

And with that he hung up, hastening the walk home and searching for his keys all the while. In less than five minutes he found himself in the warm comfort of his house as he barred the doors shut for that night. Deep inside he thought that the nightmare he and his friends had experienced fifty years ago would have gone away for good, but now like an old affliction, it began resurfacing.

Demon Subaru stared at Edo's house from a safe distance. Tsugumi most likely warned him on the phone of his possible return and now the seeds of terror were slowly sowed back into them. That foolish woman was making his job much easier.

Closing his eyes, he once more let All Over The World's energy guide him to the next owner of one of its pieces. His search resumed, he soon found himself standing in front of an old pizza parlor's entrance. Despite the building's small stature, he could still see a crowd gathered inside. Pulling the hood back on and once more donning human features, he snuck in.

The smell of freshly baked pizza reeked in the air, but to Demon Subaru's sharp scent it served to mask the smell of floor detergent. There was only one table to the right of the row of customers, at which a mother and her daughter were feasting on their last slices. Decorative plants were placed by the windows, one species more exotic than the other. Posters with ecological messages were hung proudly on the walls. Two large screens were above the ordering booth, showcasing the menu containing a variety of vegan pizzas. Having no other option, he joined the line and waited around ten minutes for its numbers to lower to half, at which point he got a better look at the one taking the orders.

Sora Rukkora had aged really well. Now in her early seventies, her face was as soft as in her youth, her now long grey hair gracefully falling down her shoulders and back, not one sign of a wrinkle was on her green tattoo covered body and her green eyes flickered with energy and vitality. Whenever she was asked about how she managed to keep her good looks, the woman brought up her strictly vegan diet, claiming that along with daily exercise and meditation it was the key to a long and healthy life. Not many followed her advice, neither in the state of Texas where she had moved to for most of her adulthood, nor back home in Japan. She pitied them, especially those obese Americans to whom she had to serve menus back then. Such wasted lives, all for the sake of short pleasure. Sometimes she hated the comforts of modernity because of that, but she knew that in the end she could not impose her will on others. She just had to focus on surviving and making a buck, that was what she did back in Texas where she lived with her friend Rita's family, and it was also what she kept doing even after resettling in Sagakin to reunite with her other friends. As long as she was physically able, she would not allow herself to retire.

Serving vegan pizzas seemed to be the best choice when it came down to working in restaurants. Pizza had always been a popular food, but unfortunately also one exceeding in toxins. This was why she had worked hard on creating her own recipe, one which besides lacking meat also had carefully selected ingredients which put on as little weight as possible. Her goal of achieving a balance between tasty and healthy had been achieved and now she worked twelve hours a day still making cash and also feeding others something less harmful than most fast foods out there. She had rented an apartment not too far from her parlor, but she rarely went there except for taking a quick nap. Life was too short to waste it away inside. All of a sudden, the phone rang as she finished serving another client, causing her to quickly pick it up.

"Sky High Pizzas, how may I help you?" Her mood then became brighter upon hearing who was on the other line. "Tsugumi, it's been days! How are you? I was hoping you'd drop by Edo's grill party this weekend." And in but a few moments her expression changed to one of sheer terror. "No, it can't be. Are you sure he's back?" she asked worriedly as she turned around and entered the kitchen. "If those murders were indeed his doing, we'll have to do something about it fast."

Sora poured herself a cup of herbal tea as she listened to the woman on the other line.

"Alright, we'll have a gathering in the weekend at your mansion. Don't worry, I'll be fine, I'm working till midnight this whole week so I'll be safe around people. Take care!"

In the meantime, Demon Subaru exited the building with the knowledge of where another piece of his puzzle was. Once again he closed his eyes and repeated the process of letting All Over The World guide his body. Some time passed and his feet finally stopped. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was in front of a large racing dome. Much to his displeasure though, there were two pairs of guards at both entrances. Even if he would have put on his human disguise again, most likely he would not have been let in, so the hard way was the only remaining option.

Taking his chances, he climbed up a tree, all the while trying his best not to make noises. With precise feline agility, he jumped off a tall branch and landed on the dome's glass roof. Looking down, he saw a pair of jets racing on an air path filled with obstacles. Among them, his eyes were fixated on the red one with yellow flames, the one which seared through the air at such high speeds that it won the race like it was nothing. Soon enough, the other jets all parked and the pilots came out for their break. Out of the one which aroused his interest emerged an old but still in shape man donning a similar racing suit, red with yellow flames and matching boots.

Rad Flames was unchanged. That was the best way to describe him. Despite all of the hardships he had gone through in his life, he had remained the same hotheaded braggart that racing fans knew and loved, that determined look in his red eyes being as fierce as ever. He lived for speed and fame, which was why he never quit his hobby of jet racing despite reaching old age. Even if he had minor accidents or injuries, he would strictly follow the doctor's indications and give his best and more to be back in shape. It was the only thing he knew since he was a young kid that loved races, and he would have gone insane if he were put in the situation to renounce that lifestyle. In a way he did regret not following his friends' impetus of moving to the United States. Sagakin was a city too calm for his taste, but his more introverted husband most likely would not have appreciated the wilderness of a place like New York.

He arranged his grey hair which was shaped like a flame, looking as aloof and cool as possible, intending to join the younger pilots which lost the race to him, when all of a sudden his phone began buzzing, causing him to head into a corner in order to answer it.

"Rad Flames here. Who is it?" he spoke in a nutshell. "Tsugumi! What's wrong? You sound scared." He then shook his head in disbelief. "No, it can't be. He can't be back. What proof do you have?" He leaned against a metallic wall, shifting his feet around as he listened. "So what? Any sick fuck could've done those murders. And sorry to say it, but things like premonitions are bullshit to me. Don't worry, _he_ 's been the same as always." Once more the old racer shut up to let the woman on the other line speak, and then he giggled. "Sorry, I can't check up on him. There's a new Grand Prix coming up and I'll be having a few restless nights on the racing track."

Demon Subaru took his ear off of the glass roof. He was very pleased with that information. With the same precise feline agility, he jumped off and landed back into the tree without making noise. After he got on the ground, he felt his body weaken, almost as if it got sudden heavy weights on its back. The reality of his new human incarnation having its limits began to dawn on him. Unfortunately for him, his power was slowly fading, so in order to conserve it, he had to stop following the energy of All Over The World.

Instead he headed directly to the new address of the Shirayama mansion. He had discovered it while taking a peek at Hajime's information in the college computers. It was now located near the city center, at a fifteen-minute walk from the boy's university. Upon arriving there, he saw that its defense was thorough, consisting of an electrified fence surrounding the building and its yard in a square, each corner having video cameras armed with lasers. How he would have liked to have some fun destroying those, but he had more urgent matters to attend. Standing at a safe distance from the cameras as to not be spotted, he widened his eyes and focused them at a window, managing to see past its magenta curtains.

Inside, standing in front of two dueling tables, were Hajime and Tsugumi. From the looks on their faces, they must have had some kind of conflict recently. Now that was interesting…

"Are you ready, Hajime?" the old woman asked, only to receive a grumbled answer from her grandson. "Very well then, shields up!"

Five teal colored rectangles materialized above both players, much to the boy's surprise.

"So this is what a true duel looks like…" Hajime uttered in awe.

"The shields are real and the creatures are real. Since the creatures have ceased contact with the humans, only us chosen duelists still have the power to call upon them. We have all sworn to use it as rarely as possible so that we would not have a new incident," Tsugumi explained.

"How dangerous is it?"

"If you have not bonded with your deck in a way that it fully represents you… very dangerous."

"That's so reassuring."

"Enough chatter, Hajime. Show me your skills! Duel start!"

And thus their match began. After two turns, the blond youth was the one who did his first move.

"I summon Crista, First Squad," Hajime said and then he was taken aback by seeing the small floating creature made of pale yellow crystal appear right next to him. "Wow, I don't believe it!" his jaw dropped as he walked to the being he just summoned. "You're actually… real?" He reached his hand to touch it.

"Focus on the duel!" Tsugumi rose her voice, causing him to walk back to his table. "I cast Aquan Jr.'s Delivery. With its effect I reveal the top 3 cards of my deck and add all Light and Darkness cards to my hand, the rest going to my graveyard," The top cards were Rainbow Spark, Heaven's Gate and Emeralda, Pitch Dragon Elemental, all going to her hand.

"Very well, I shall draw as well – I summon Bernine, Dragon Armored." A creature brandishing a white armor made of a Dragon's fossil and wielding a sword appeared next to Crista. "Bernine too? I'm starting to like these true duels more and more! I mean… with Bernine's effect I draw a card."

"I cast Rainbow Spark and tap both Crista and Bernine. Then with its Mana Arms 2, I also draw 2 cards."

"I summon Faywon, Green Silver." A white caped purple cyclops joined the array of creatures summoned by Hajime. "Having real creatures in our world is just too cool, I can't believe this game can actually be dangerous played like this."

"You don't even know half of it," his grandmother spoke with a slightly pitying tone.

"I guess I'll soon find out, then. Bernine lets me draw a card. Then I tap Faywon and also draw a card. I summon a second Faywon and draw from Bernine, then I tap it and draw again!"

Tsugumi sighed and shook her head, clearly disappointed.

"Is something wrong?" the young one asked.

"You're treating this like it's child's play. I'm afraid I have to show what's truly in store for you."

Placing her hand gracefully at the top card of her deck, her index and middle finger on it and her thumb ready to help slide it, a golden aura shone around her hand. Hajime's jaw dropped, never in his life did he expect such a thing from his own grandmother. Opening her blue eyes, she shouted, "Let the symphony of angels resound!" And thus she drew. "I cast Dragon's Sign!" A green circle shone in the floor between them. "With its effect I bring out Heaven's Rosia, True Dragon Edge from my hand!"

A humanoid arose from it. He donned white and blue armor, had twelve orbs float behind him like a clock, a helmet shaped like a Pope hat covered his head, his long blond towards ginger hair flowed majestically and he wielded a spear with blue angelic wings.

"With his effect effect I bring out Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle from the hyperspatial zone!" Tsugumi continued and a four floor Japanese styled castle with flaming swords coming out of it descended from a hole in the ceiling. "With Reddull's effect, I give Heaven's Rosia speed attacker. Next, Gravity Zero, I cast Miracle Stop for free! Now you can't cast spells until the start of my next turn." Pairs of golden vines surrounded each of Hajime's shields. "Go, Heaven's Rosia, attack and… Revolution Change!" she ordered and the armored humanoid rushed at Hajime and then turned around to fly towards a white armored angel winged Dragon donning the same Pope helmet, clock shaped orbs and long hair, the two hi-fiving and Heaven's Rosia disappearing to be replaced by the new creature. "Miradante Twelve, Time Pope! With his Final Revolution effect, you can't summon creatures that cost 7 or less until the end of your next turn!" Another pair of golden vines was wrapped around Hajime's hands. "Then with Miradante Twelve's other effect, I cast another Dragon's Sign for free and bring back Heaven's Rosia, True Dragon Edge!" The armored humanoid rejoined the battle field along the angelic Dragon. "With his effect I bring out Heaven's Heaven, Heavenly Justice from the hyperspatial zone." A white and golden futuristic church shaped like a sci-fi spaceship also descended from a hole in the ceiling. "Miradante Twelve, triple break his shields!" Tsugumi ordered and the angelic Dragon fired spears from its orbs.

"I untap a Faywon and change the attack to it!" Hajime intervened and one of the purple cyclops jumped in front of the shields, receiving the spears until it blew up.

"I end my turn and Heaven's Heaven brings out Wisdompheus, Dragonic Spirit from my hand." A golden armored dragon-shaped angel wielding a staff with two scales appeared from the church. "With the effect of Wisdompheus, I check the top 5 cards of my deck and take a spell to my hand. I'll take Arcadia Spark. Then with its other effect, I can cast a spell with Spark in its name for free, so I cast Arcadia Spark! Faywon gets shuffled back into your deck and you draw a card." A blue ray of light hit the other purple cyclops and made him vanish as well.

With one single gesture from her hand, Tsugumi signaled it was Hajime's turn. The blond could not believe it. In just one turn he had been locked down completely. He could summon no creatures or cast any spells. Now he was beginning to understand what his grandmother meant about dueling being dangerous.

"I charge mana…" He gulped. "…and end my turn."

The vines then disappeared from both his shields and hands. At the very least he now had a chance for making a comeback.

"I cast Aquan Jr.'s Delivery." Tsugumi revealed her top cards which were Kernel, Blue Stagnation Dragon Elemental, Bonsoir, Dragon Elemental Admiral and Miracle Stop, all of which went to her hand. "Gravity Zero, I cast Miracle Stop! Miradante Twelve, attack and Revolution Change into another Miradante Twelve – Final Revolution!"

Much to Hajime's disbelief, the vines once again returned on both his shields and hands, indicating that he had been locked down once more.

"Miradante Twelve, triple break his shields!"

The angelic Dragon fired light spears from its orbs which went through three of the boy's shields, shattering them into large shards. Hajime took cover as they hit him. The pain was as real as everything that was going on around him.

"Wisdompheus, break his final shields!"

The other creature swung its staff and slashed away the remaining two shields, which only served to hurt the boy more. Gracefully placing her hand on the final card which could attack, Tsugumi glared at Hajime, asking, "What do you have to say about your performance tonight?"

"I… didn't expect any of this."

"You wish to find Ken's murderer? If it's who I fear it might be, then you will be no match. Let this be a lesson to you, Hajime!"

"Understood." The blond shyly nodded.

"Good. Then there's nothing left to say, but… Heaven's Rosia, todomeda!"

Heeding her order, the humanoid rushed at the opponent and hit him with the spear's handle, blowing him away. Hajime crashed on the couch nearby, his cards scattered on the floor, and he watched the creatures, draghearts and shields disappear. Tsugumi sighed and packed her cards.

"How long do you think you can hide the truth from me?" His voice stopped her from leaving.

"You are not ready to face him, let alone know," she argued.

"Either way, I'm part of this now whether you like or not. Please, grandma, I need the answers. I deserve them."

Tsugumi looked at him and saw the determination in his eyes, one she had seen before in her friends as well. As much as she hated putting his life in danger, she knew that at this point she had no choice but to open up. Sliding her deck back in her pocket, she joined Hajime on the couch and began.

"It happened fifty years ago, when we were about your age. I had broken up from one of my fellow chosen duelists whom I dated for a really long time. His name… Subaru Geki. He did not take the breakup well, and the darkness inside his heart began to grow, eventually taking over him and manifesting in the form of this monster who called himself Demon Subaru. He looked exactly the same as him, except for the eyes and teeth. This fiend sought to kill us all for pleasure and to empower himself. He had turned Sagakin into a nightmare realm, where creatures like him hunted down and feasted on the citizens' flesh and despair. We each tried to stop him, but it was futile, he had managed to overpower all chosen duelists and was about to use the power he had gained to destroy the entire universe and remake it in his own image. That was until a miracle happened and an old rival of ours stopped him, ending the process and undoing each of Demon Subaru's evil actions. After that, Subaru was freed of the demon and the creatures stopped contacting the human world except for us, fearing that such a universal threat might arise once more if their power fell in the wrong hands."

"I don't believe it… you were this close to death?"

"No, Hajime, I was actually killed. If his actions were not undone, you and your father may have never been born."

The blond reached his hand and grabbed Tsugumi's holding it tight almost out of a sudden fear of losing her just like he lost his best friend. All of that was too much for him to process, but there was still a question which bothered him.

"So why do you believe that this monster has returned?"

"No criminal in this city has done such gruesome murders. I never told you this, but on the night before Ken was killed, I had this bad feeling that something big was going to happen. To make matters worse, I've been trying to contact Subaru since and he's not answering my calls or emails."

"Do you have his address? How about we visit him to make sure this is true?"

"Absolutely not! If Demon Subaru has indeed returned, he will be dangerous for the both of us!"

Outside the mansion, Demon Subaru blinked to finish his supernatural peeking. He had seen and heard more than enough. The fear that Tsugumi had was shared with all of her close ones and it was going to pave the path towards his grandiose entrance. More so, just like the other three, she also had a piece of All Over The World in her possession. Why she chose not to tell Hajime about it was anyone's guess, but he did not care, for he had felt the young one's will and stubbornness, and more importantly, he knew that the kid was planning something. Thus he decided to stick around and wait, hoping that sooner or later he would be led to his human counterpart's hideout.


	6. Generations clash

Covered by a pink blanket, sunk deep in her plush-soft mattress, her head dug into two large pillows, Tsugumi was fast asleep. Shyly peeking through the curtains, the moon's rays gently lit the scenery. Lost in the land of dreams, she had forgotten all about the worries of daytime, the peaceful look on her face betraying a happiness she began to hide even from her own family in the past few decades. Had old age started to wear on her so much so that she always displayed her worries in one way or another? Or was it an unwritten human rule that joy faded from view as you approached your twilight years?

Hajime carefully tiptoed past her room and silently went downstairs. It was unusual for him to be awake past midnight, and a part of him begged for the warm comforts of his bed. But he had answers to find and that need dug deep into his mind, keeping him awake like a parasitic virus tormenting the fatigued patient whom unwillingly hosted it. The blond snuck into the living room and turned on the lights from the desk lamp, positioning it in such a way that it did not shine towards the stairs. He booted up his grandmother's computer and entered the required password to access her email address. Since he had moved in with her for college, she had shared with him all of her passwords, just in case something bad might have happened. After half an hour of searching through her correspondence with 'Subaru Geki', he eventually found an email from a few years ago which revealed that he had moved to a new address. The young one wrote it down on paper and deactivated the security system so that he could sneak out without anyone noticing.

The late night's chilly air was quick to greet him, once more reminding him of his bedroom's tempting safety. But he had to get to the bottom of that mystery and gain the answers his grandmother denied him. Thus he headed to the city center on foot, Demon Subaru silently following from a safe distance.

Just like the park, the entire neighborhood around seemed dead. Devoid of people, barely any lit buildings, not even one street animal. It was like walking through a graveyard, one made of highly technologized constructions. In there he was the only living flesh, an anomaly, a ghost that had long missed its ride to the afterlife and was doomed to wander that hollow place. Eventually the buildings began to decay in imagery, a sign of their oldness and the city hall's stagnating projects of renovation. _He was almost there._

Hajime double checked the street sign to be sure, then he counted the numbers on the flats until he stopped by the 19th. There he stared at the metallic door that was painted a pale olive green and for a moment hesitated, wondering if it was the right thing to bother a stranger at that late hour of the night. Eventually the cold got to his bones and he dialed '77' on the interphone, waiting as it beeped once every two seconds. Once they ceased, the answer he received was the door opening. Unsure if he should say anything, he stepped into the dim corridors. Before the door automatically locked itself, a shadow also snuck in, soon becoming one with the darkness. The flat's inside had a strangely thick air, reeking of aged concrete. The apartments began right after the mailboxes, three per floor, and there was an elevator right next to the stairs which stretched upwards. The sound of keys unlocking something echoed from the second floor, prompting the young one to climb there. A dark brown metallic door with a golden '77' was to the stairs' left. The blond gulped and shyly knocked, an old mellow voice replying from the inside, "Rad, why don't you come in?"

He then heard a pair of footsteps echo and saw the eyehole move for a moment. The door opened, revealing a tall old man dressed in black pajamas, well-kept long white hair falling down his shoulders, his brown eyes having a warm and curious look, his once soft face now dried up.

"Hello? Who are you?" the old man nervously asked.

"I apologize for the bother. I am looking for Subaru Geki," Hajime answered.

"That would be me. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I wanted to talk, it's about your past with the chosen duelists."

His expression suddenly lightened, as if he was awoken from a sleepy state.

"Of course. Come in!" he greeted and stepped aside, Hajime wiping his feet on the mat before entering. "You look pretty familiar. What interest do you have in the chosen duelists?"

"Sorry, I should've introduced myself earlier. I am Hajime Shirayama." The blond made a polite bow as his host locked the door.

"Shirayama, ey?"

"You've known my grandmother Tsugumi for quite some time."

A smile grew on Subaru's face, as if he was reminded of a pleasant dream.

"Oh yes I did, very well in fact." He turned to his guest and guided him to the living room.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Demon Subaru leaned against the wall outside, his ears' sharp hearing enabling him to listen to their conversation.

"Here you go." Subaru placed a plate with chocolate cookies and a glass of soda on the table.

"Thank you." Hajime nodded and both of them sat on two plush armchairs.

The living room was pretty old school, having thick long brown curtains that reached the floor, a large Indian rug depicting dark colored flowers, two bookshelves on opposite walls, both filled with books that had their covers worn off by time, a single TV hung on another wall, opposite to the two armchairs, table and windows. The entire place was way smaller and less cleanly than Hajime's home, yet it seemed suited for a modest looking guy like Subaru.

"My grandmother had been trying to contact you these past days." The boy tried to initiate conversation once more after munching down a cookie.

"I know," the old one solemnly replied.

"She has sent you emails and has phone called you constantly."

"I know."

"So why didn't you answer her? She's been very worried."

"Worried that…?"

Hajime paused and looked at Subaru in the eyes. He seemed so kind hearted and innocent, the blond felt like he would have insulted him by insinuating that somehow he had something to do with those murders.

"Worried that something bad might have happened to you," he was quick to rephrase his original thought.

"Oh Tsugumi, Tsugumi…" Subaru shook his head with a sad smile. "You know, even though my doctor says that I'm technically healthy, I still had the feeling over the last decade that I'm approaching my final days."

"How so?"

"Call it intuition. The point is, I don't wish to put my friends into grief over this, so I've become a hermit to hide my worries from them. I'm only interacting with my husband Rad whenever he comes home to rest, but that's barely an hour as his life's consisted only of racing and sleeping these past years. Heh, that hothead won't retire even when he's a century old."

"You seem pretty resigned, sir."

"Maybe I am… Sometimes I wonder if I'm more afraid of hurting my loved ones by dying than being afraid of death itself."

"Don't speak like this, Subaru!" Hajime rose his voice a bit. "If there's one thing that I've learned these past days, it's that you've got to cherish life, even if the fears of death are lurking in the back of your head! Life is short and death is forever, so you might as well make the best out of it, for the sake of your loved ones and even yourself!"

The old man giggled silently. When he was young he also had that optimistic view of the world. With a short sigh, he replied, "Everything has a beginning and an end."

"Yes, but-"

"No matter how much you enjoy the short time you have left…" Subaru interrupted him. "…you're simply trying to run away and postpone the end."

It then struck Hajime just how true those words were. Up until that day he would have just brushed them off, but after seeing how easily Ken had lost his life, he realized just how much anyone was at risk. In just a moment one's very existence could have ended, and everything that they ever were or could have been was erased at that point.

"So why is Tsugumi worried about me?" Subaru brought up, his curiosity now piqued.

"Oh, you haven't heard." Hajime snapped out of his thoughts.

"Heard of what?"

"There have been two murders in the college area. One of the victims was my best friend."

"My goodness…"

"They were horribly mangled, to say the least. Last night my grandmother had this feeling that something big was going to happen, so she now fears that a certain Demon Subaru might have returned."

"And she tried to contact me in order to see if it's true."

Hajime nodded, hoping that the supposition was unfounded. Subaru's face darkened with worry as he stared pensively at a bookshelf. The silence between them felt long and awkward, but eventually he spoke up.

"I've had the same fears last night. But of one thing I am sure, the Demon is not inside me."

Hajime blinked, "How so?"

"Back when he was lurking into my heart, I had felt as if something heavy was always pressing on me, not physically as much as spiritually. He always imbued me with thoughts of guilt, fueling my sorrow and rage, telling me that pride was the only answer to the sins I've committed," Subaru confessed as he clenched his fist on the armchair. "But now I don't feel any of this, I can't hear his voice inside my head, nor do I feel his presence anywhere around me."

"If that is the case, then either it's someone entirely different, or this monster-"

"Has possessed someone else. There is a way for you to recognize him, he never loses his trademark features - black and red eyes, fangs and a hissed voice."

"Understood," the blond said and took a sip from the soda. "In this case, I should probably get going, it's pretty late and-"

"Don't worry, I usually don't sleep at night," the old man assured him. "I presume Tsugumi taught you how to duel, right?"

"No. I learned it from my best friend."

"Good. In that case, would you mind if we had a match? I am curious to see how strong you are."

"Sure thing, sir."

The host motioned to two dueling tables in the hallway and both of them got out their decks and headed there. After they set their shields and drew their hands, five teal colored rectangles appeared above both of them.

"A true duel…" Hajime muttered.

"Despite the creatures cutting their contact with the human world, us chosen duelists still have the power to call upon them and have true duels," Subaru explained. "Now let's begin!" thus he did his first turn by placing a card into his mana zone.

"I charge mana and summon Ka Doubler, Red Attack Silver. He's put tapped into the battle zone." A caped silvery humanoid covered by bandages and wielding two blades appeared by Hajime's side.

"Ah, so these are Metallicas. Peculiar creatures they are," Subaru remarked. "I cast Dark Life and check the top two cards of my deck. Jenny, the Dismantling Doll goes into my graveyard and Bell Hell De Skull, Moon Reaper goes into my mana zone."

"I summon Crista, First Squad." A small floating creature made of pale yellow crystal joined the silvery humanoid.

"Your Metallicas cost 1 less now, interesting! I summon Honenbe, Skeletal Guardian." A purple skull with four bat wings appeared and caused the top three cards of Subaru's deck to fall into the graveyard, those being Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge, Triple Mouth, Decaying Savage and Rebirth Eye, Shrine of Reaper. "I take Triple Mouth back to my hand and end."

"Crista reduces his cost, so I summon Bernine, Dragon Armored and draw a card." A creature brandishing a white armor made of a Dragon's fossil and wielding a sword appeared next to the other two Metallicas.

"A drawing machine, good progression indeed! Might as well do some progression too – I summon Triple Mouth, Decaying Savage." The ghostly being with three mouths appeared next to the winged skull and caused the top card of its owner's deck to go into the mana zone and Hajime to discard Faywon, Green Silver.

"My turn, I cast Shine Arrow, tap Triple Mouth and draw a card. Then I summon Amber, Strange Stone, freeze Honenbe and draw from Bernine." A being made of three orange crystals and with blue butterfly wings appeared and fired a beam upon the purple skull, binding it. "Bernine, destroy Triple Mouth!" The fossil wearing Metallica swung its sword and slashed the three mouthed creature into pieces.

"You've gained field advantage now, nice work!" Subaru complimented, but then he frowned as he drew his next card. "I cast Dark Life and check the top two cards of my deck. Jasmine, Mist Faerie goes into my graveyard and Tyrant Black Monarch goes into my mana zone. Turn end."

"Since I have more than two other creatures in the battle zone, Ka Doubler now untaps!" Hajime announced. "I evolve Amber into Shouten, Stellar Guidance!" The creature made of orange crystals got enveloped by a golden armor and transformed into a warrior made of dark blue crystals that wielded an emerald green sword.

"A Neo Evolution creature…?" his opponent uttered and looked better at the card. "It features that new attack bending effect _and_ it brings out a non-evolution Light creature that costs 8 or less at the start of my turn? That's strong."

"Ka Doubler, double break his shields! Shouten, break his shield!"

Subaru took cover as the two Metallica creatures slashed away three of his shields with their swords. As he picked the cards into his hand, he quickly showed one to his opponent and said, "Shield trigger activate, I summon Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor, destroy Shouten!" A horned humanoid donning a skeletal armor with a red cape appeared and used its large scythe to cut the warrior made of blue crystals in half.

"Tsh, Bernine, break his shield! Crista, break his final shield!"

Heeding the orders, the last two Metallicas also went through Subaru's shields, rendering him defenseless. But once he picked up those cards as well, he once more spoke, "Shield trigger activate, I cast Inferno Sign!"

The card glowed with a bright purple aura and caused a winged and horned purple wolf plush toy to appear in the battle zone, wielding a red bone scythe. The plushy howled, causing the top two cards of its owner's deck to fall into its owner's graveyard, those being Jasmine, Mist Faerie and Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor. Then it jumped in the air, using its scythe to create a hole out of which a winged palace descended. A white haired doll wearing a dark red dress and wielding a razor weapon also arose.

"I revive Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge and bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace! With Welcome Hell's effect I revive Jenny, the Dismantling Doll, show your hand!" Subaru demanded and his opponent revealed Andro Saver, Martyrdom Wings, Wonder Turtle, Great Labyrinth Turtle and White Night, Edge of Yin Yang. "I discard Andro Saver. Then I cast Shrine of Rebirth and send both Jasmine and Death Hands from my graveyard into my mana zone. I also cast Dark Life, check the top two cards… and send Ninjariban, Dragon Edge into my graveyard and Haridelberg, Hell of D into my mana zone. Lastly, I evolve Jenny into Black Psycho, Revenge and discard your remaining cards!" The doll got surrounded by a purple aura and turned into a dark purple skeletal demon wearing circus buffoon clothes and wielding a sword and a shield, the creature swinging its sword and causing Hajime to lose the last two cards in his hand. "Death Hands, suicide with Crista! Black Psycho, suicide with Ka Doubler!" The two creatures lashed at the equal powered Metallicas, each disappearing into an explosion upon collision. "Hellborof, attack Bernine and Welcome Hell revives Ninjariban, Dragon Edge whom I equip with Migawari, Nightmare Swastika!" The wolf plush flew towards the remaining Metallica, the winged palace glowing and causing a blue ninja plush wielding a red shuriken to appear right before the former slashed its target into pieces with its scythe. "Your turn."

"You lost all of your shields and yet you've managed to make a full comeback," Hajime spoke in disbelief as he drew his top card. "I charge mana and end."

"Yes, you must be able to get out of any kind of dire situation that the opponent puts you into. And now let me show you the power of Darkness – Mana Evolution, I take Bell Hell De Skull from my mana zone and evolve him into Ballom Quake, Lord of Demons!" A green goat demon with red wings, long white hair falling on its shoulders, a body that seemed like it was made of plants, and who was lying on a giant leaf filled with rose petals appeared in the battle zone and roared, shaking the apartment. "Ballom Quake destroys all creatures that aren't Demon Commands! Ninjariban gets destroyed, but Migawari keeps him in the battle zone and it flips to Karakurigaeshi, Ninja Mansion. Honenbe gets destroyed and Karakurigaeshi flips to Utsusemihenge, Blame Demon Dragon!" A black and blue Demon Command Dragon wearing parts of a mansion as its armor, a red shuriken on its chest and two swords hung on its back also appeared in the battle zone. "Ballom Quake, triple break his shields!" The goat demon waved its hands and created a purple sphere which it then tossed upon three of the boy's shields, tearing through each.

Hajime took cover as the shards hit him and then he was quick to take the three cards to his hand.

"Shield trigger activate, I summon Rudolgo, Strange Stone!" A jet made of gold appeared by his side, only to be immediately tied by green vines coming from the plant Demon Command and disappear. "Huh? What happened?"

"Whenever you put a creature into the battle zone for no cost, Ballom Quake sends it into the mana zone instead," Subaru explained with a satisfied smirk and continued his turn. "Utsusemihenge, break his final shields!" the ninja Dragon pulled out both swords and flew at the boy, slashing his remaining shields.

"Shield trigger activate, I cast Novalty Amaze and tap all of your creatures!" A bright gem appeared and fired bright blue light beams upon Hellborof and Ninjariban, binding them. "I also draw a card. Then super shield trigger, I bring out Crista for free," the small Metallica appeared, only to be quickly caught by the same vines and sent into the mana zone.

"Heh, your move." Subaru passed.

Hajime drew his next card and frowned. There was no evolution creature and no matter what he summoned, he couldn't have been able to get rid of all four opposing creatures.

"I summon Wonder Turtle, Great Labyrinth Turtle." A giant turtle made of multicolored gems, with its tail shaped like a double hammer and a labyrinth carved in its shell appeared by his side.

"That's all?" Subaru asked and received a nod in response. "Then it's time to end this. Ballom Quake…"

Hajime closed his eyes, expecting another blast to throw him into a wall.

"Stand back!" the old man ordered and each of his creatures disappeared, much to the young one's surprise. "You have good skill, but I'm afraid that in the end you just had bad luck."

"You're a strong opponent too," Hajime replied with a modest smile and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Keep researching into these new cards and improve your deck so that it will be prepared for any situation," Subaru advised.

"Thank you." The boy then yawned and started packing his cards. "Sorry, it's getting really late."

"Then I won't keep you here much longer."

The building's door opened and Hajime walked out, heading back home into the night's cold with a gifted box of chocolates under his armpit. Although he did not find out everything he had hoped for, that meeting was still very productive. In his head echoed the parting words that Subaru left him with: _Good luck, and remember to always be on high alert._ Little did he know that Demon Subaru stood in front of the flat, staring at him with a satisfied grin. He had now tracked the five pieces of All Over The World.


	7. Reunion

The Darkness civilization had changed over the years. Gone was the skull moon which once gloomily shone above its desolate grounds. Now it was replaced with a dark sun which had poisonous rays to anyone who did not belong to that forsaken realm. Since the other civilizations had all moved into a 'World Pillar', that left the entire planet to the expansion of Darkness. When it came to inner affairs, the rule had also changed. Gone were the once mighty Demon Command Dragons, they had now been replaced by the slick Mafi Gangs.

In the civilization's former capital, Demon Wolf, which was a wolf-shaped castle located on a mountain's edge and looking as if it were howling to the moon, the few survivors of the older races dwelled, most of whom refused to integrate with the Mafi Gang race. One of the bottom floor's doors opened and loud music echoed from inside. The Funky Knightmares, a race of sentient plush toys who loved partying and suicide followed by a quick sowing, were throwing one of their wildest celebrations yet. A lone plush walked out, but soon a voice called out.

"Bochiborof, where the hell are you going? We're having a booze drinking contest in an hour or so!"

"I'm out to get some air, Ninjariban! Y'all can start it without me!" And thus he slammed the door shut.

Bochiborof had a pretty short stature when compared to some of the stronger Funky Knightmares. He was a purple wolf plush who wore brown shoes, a pair of black pants, a golden belt, a pair of red boxing gloves, a golden chain on his neck and a red bandana on his forehead. His hair had grown long, reaching his feet, and two golden spikes were on his shoulders, matching his belt and chain. His blue eyes were tired, betraying not only his drunkenness, but also his rage. Just before leaving that party, Duenyan Emperor, the self-proclaimed leader of his race, had beaten him in a wrestling match. It was a pretty humiliating defeat too. Just thinking of that black cat's smug smirk was enough to make him want to punch something hard.

"When I'll get my hands on that good for nothing fat cat, I'll knock him and his entire family of dumpster divers into oblivion! Nobody orders me around when I've been this civilization's hero for such a long time! Just who the fuck does this lard ass think he is to call himself 'leader' out of nowhere, huh? Actually, just how retarded can my brothers be to accept him?" Bochiborof ranted to himself as he descended the mountain, wandering its deep dark forests. "Now that I think about it, they must be very retarded. Over half a decade all we've done is to party like no tomorrow and not do anything for our civilization. I never thought I'd grow tired of having fun…" He took a deep breath and looked through the tree branches at the dark sky. "Oh, how I long for the good old days with Demon Subaru-sama. Back then we both tapped into the highest powers of the Darkness civilization and brought it to the very top. Why, we were almost ready to take over the universe itself! But then _they_ had to stop us," he spoke with a tone of loathing. "No draghearts, no Demon Command Dragons, I feel so useless now. If only the master were still in the human world, maybe those ugly Mafi Gangs would've known better than to take over our proud realm!"

All of a sudden, the short plush toy bumped into a tall humanoid dressed in an elegant purple robe and having a grey hat cover his dark face from which only the shining red eyes were distinguished. Angered by this inconvenience, Bochiborof got up and was quick to shout, "Hey, watch where the hell you're sitting, fat ass!"

Georges Bataille, who was relaxing after a hard day of politics with the other six kings of the Darkness civilization, did not bother to acknowledge the little wolf's presence. This only served to fuel Bochiborof's rage, who kept yelling at him.

"Don't you dare ignore me like you're too high and mighty! Why in my day, the likes of you would've kissed the ground that proud warriors like me walked on! All that you can do is to sit down all day and move your trap like no tomorrow, if that were so effective then why the hell are we now on the bottom of the barrel?!"

The noise was beginning to slightly annoy the Mafi Gang leader, so in the end lowered his head and coldly gazed at the Funky Knightmare.

"You want a fight, big guy?" Bochiborof jumped in a battle stance, his boxing gloves ready for punching. "Come at me, I'll show you that even without draghearts or any special powers, I'll kick you out of the Darkness civilization with my bare fists!"

Georges Bataille said nothing and simply watched the smaller creature punch his leg with no effect whatsoever. Such small fish were only good for physical labors, but the one sitting in front of him was anything but obeying. As such, he was of no use to him. The Mafi Gang picked up the wolf plush by his long mane and raised him to his head's level, speaking in a calm yet ominous voice:

"You wish to be useful?"

"I am a thousand times more useful than you!" Bochiborof proudly claimed as he aimlessly punched the air.

"Then go bother the humans," Georges Bataille dismissively replied and tossed him into a portal.

Demon Subaru hid in an alleyway's shadows and watched how the police and forensics were inspecting his latest crime scene. The couple he had murdered a few hours ago lay with their insides out on the cold sidewalk. Besides his way of killing, he laid no clue that would ever help them track him down. Their desperate efforts amused him, and the fear that they tried to suppress was feeding his power ever so well. Yes, the new body that he had was getting stronger and stronger. Who knew, maybe with time he would have been able to manifest his demonic powers with ease, or maybe even reveal his true form. But until then, he had to focus on the present. Ahead of him lay two choices: following Hajime or starting to collect All Over The World's parts. While he was curious to see if the boy would have been able to grow stronger as a duelist and eventually find him, the prospect of regaining the power of all five civilizations was equally appealing.

Pow!

Something fell into a trash can. It disturbed his thoughts. Demon Subaru turned around and inspected the alleyway. If someone had been spying on him, his claws were ready to paint another crime scene. All of a sudden, a familiar purple head with a white face popped out of the garbage of a trash can. The travel had sobered up Bochiborof, who was quick to get out of the mess and attempt cleansing his body. But as he looked around, he had the pleasant surprise of witnessing a figure that was twice taller than him. Despite the newly acquired hooded black jacket, he would have recognized that face in a thousand. Immense joy flowed through his plush body, he felt as if he were flying. Demon Subaru himself was also surprised of seeing that creature, it had been so long that he had almost forgotten how he actually looked like, then again the Funky Knightmare's looks did change.

"Master, it's really you!" Bochiborof happily screamed and jumped to hug him.

He was soon silenced by a swift punch in the head which threw him into the ground, a lump growing out of his scalp. Demon Subaru leaned to him and whispered, "Stay quiet, we don't need to attract the cops' attention."

"Understood…" the dizzy creature moaned.

That was indeed an unexpected turn of events. Demon Subaru took Bochiborof in his arms and carefully snuck out of the alleyway, making his way through the night. They headed to a safer place where he was sure that the authorities would not stick their nose in, for the moment at least – the park near the college. He placed the toy on a bench and gave him a moment to recollect his thoughts. The purple wolf inspected their surroundings and realized that secretly he longed for the concrete jungle of the human world and the cleaner air of their nature.

Demon Subaru initiated their conversation, "Why are you in this current state? Last I recall, you had different looks, Hellborof."

"I don't go by that name anymore. You may call me Bochiborof," the creature corrected him.

"How so?"

"I've weakened significantly since the Devil Corrupt King abandoned me. I've also grown bored back home since I'm no longer needed by the current establishment. So you can say that I've pretty much… thrown myself back here."

"I see."

"What about you, Demon Subaru-sama? How did you manage to return?"

"Keh, not even the Abyss is strong enough to keep me in eternal slumber. Somehow I've managed to escape it and reincarnate back here in a human body, one that is identical to Subaru Geki's youthful form."

"What?! You mean to tell me that you are now separate from him?!"

"Yes, and now that I am back, I seek to regain the power which I have lost and recover all five pieces of All Over The World. That won't be a hard task since the chosen duelists are all too old to even attempt stopping me."

"Why that is great news, master! This time around it will be a piece of cake for you to claim what is truly yours!"

"There is however a human who is fascinating me. He is the grandson of the former chosen duelist of Light."

"Hah, to think that those fools actually reproduced, let alone have grandchildren…"

"I know. But still, before I fully unleash my plans, I want to test the boy's intelligence and see if he can find me."

"Wherever you'll go, master, I swear I will loyally follow you!" Bochiborof claimed as he got up from the bench. "That is, of course, if you allow me to serve you once more."

"Keh, fair point." Demon Subaru slyly smiled as he took out his deck. "How about you prove your worth to me this time in a duel?"

"A duel?!"

"Why not? After all, only the strong are allowed to follow my path."

The offer was quite unexpected. The creature had never dueled against someone who was not part of his own kin. Still, if that was the way for him to once more be at the top of the world, he had no other choice. Taking out a deck from his pants' pockets, he walked to the park's dueling table and jumped on it, beginning to set his cards. The demonic duelist went to the opposing side and set his own cards as well. Even though it was going to be a normal duel, none of them took it lightly.

"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." Demon Subaru was the first to place a card into the battle zone.

"I summon School Man and destroy both him and BloodRayne." Bochiborof countered his opponent's very first move.

"I summon Hell Mission, Dark Armor."

"Demon Subaru-sama is also using Dark Knightmares now? I feel kind of insulted."

"Just play." The hissed one waved dismissively.

"Hmph, I cast Bone Dance Charger." Ninjariban, Dragon Edge and Memento Guardian Shrine, Prison Court of D both landed into the plush toy's graveyard.

"You're using Light? Now I'm the one feeling insulted that a minion of mine would do such a disgrace."

"Just play." Bochiborof waved back in the same dismissive manner.

"Very well, I summon Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation."

"Trying to stall me? Sorry to say it, master, but it won't help you for long – I summon Tigernitro, Explosive Devil."

"Kehehe, what a misplay you've done! I have just one card left in my hand, Tigernitro's Mana Arms 5 discard will be for nothing!"

"Don't worry, Demon Subaru-sama, the game has just begun!"

"Yes, for me, that is! I summon Vader, Dark Armor. I end my turn and use Vader's effect," Jenny, the Dismantling Doll fell into his graveyard and he drew a card.

"It's time for me to show my true form!" The purple wolf excitedly tapped five mana cards and placed a new card on the field. "I summon Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter!"

Demon Subaru blinked and looked better at the card which resembled Borof's latest incarnation.

"It has slayer and when it's put into the battle zone you put the top 3 cards of your deck into your graveyard and return a creature to your hand. A slayer Honenbe?"

"Don't be quick to dismiss it!" his opponent confidently replied as he put Falconer, Lightfang Ninja, Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge and Magnum, Allshot Doll into his graveyard. "I take Magnum back to my hand and end."

"Whatever you're planning, I'll be sure to deal with it before you even start it! I summon Ninjariban, Dragon Edge and bring out Demon Wolf, Soul Eating Moonlight Castle. I end my turn and once more use Vader's effect." Savage, Forbidden U went into his graveyard and he drew again.

"I summon Magnum, Allshot Doll. Turn end."

"Keh, that's it? You disappoint me, Bochiborof. I'm afraid it's time for me to show you true power – Dragsolution! Demon Wolf becomes Minagorosseo, Wolf Demon Dragon! And now…" Demon Subaru placed his hand on the top card of his deck, which began to glow purple. "Let the true duel begin!" He quickly drew and slammed the card on the table, cracks beginning to grow in its middle. "I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge!" A small purple light emanated from the card and then a winged and horned wolf plush wielding a scythe emerged out of it, howling as the dueling table eventually broke in two.

It was then that the five shields of both players materialized along with their creatures. A purple armored knight wielding a sword and a shield, a fat ghost with a big mouth in its stomach, a grayish brown knight with a large shield, a blue ninja plush and a dark blue demonic wolf building joined Hellborof on Demon Subaru's side, while a yellow tiger plush holding two pieces of dynamite and an armed blue cowboy doll were on Bochiborof's side along with a copy of himself.

"Hellborof's effect, I put the top two cards of my deck into the graveyard and bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace!" Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and School Man fell into Demon Subaru's graveyard as a winged demonic palace descended from a hole in the sky, bringing out another blue ninja plush as well, this one holding a red shuriken. "Welcome Hell's effect, I revive another Ninjariban and equip him with Migawari, Nightmare Swastika!"

"Magnum's effect, whenever you bring out a creature without paying its cost, you must choose and destroy one of your creatures!" Bochiborof intervened.

"Keh, I choose Hell Mission." The hooded duelist crossed his arms and watched the cowboy doll shoot his purple knight. "When Hell Mission leaves the battle zone, I destroy one of your untapped creatures, so I'll take down Tigernitro too!" One of the knight's swords came out of the shooting's explosion and stabbed the yellow tiger plush, destroying it as well. "Ninjariban, attack and Welcome Hell revives Jenny, the Dismantling Doll!" The white haired doll wearing a dark red dress and wielding a razor weapon arose and forced Bochiborof to reveal the only remaining card in his hand, which was Duenyan Emperor, and he was forced to discard it. "Then with your Magnum's effect, I'll destroy my attacking Ninjariban and stop his attack!" Once more the cowboy doll aimed its gun and this time it shot down one of the blue ninjas.

"You did that to keep me without cards in hand…"

"Exactly. And now I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Black Psycho, Revenge fell into Demon Subaru's graveyard, causing him to draw. "Dragsolution! I destroy Ninjariban, Minagorosseo, Vader and Jenny and flip Welcome Hell to Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King! Ninjariban stays and Migawari flips directly to Utsusemihenge, Blame Demon Dragon!" The winged palace fired two beams from itself upon the remaining blue ninja, wolf demon, brown knight and white haired doll, destroying all except for the ninja, and the shuriken transformed into a black ninja Demon Command Dragon, after which the palace cracked open and revealed a dark purple Demon Command Dragon with a horned serpent head and a red scythe in its hands. "With the effect of Deathgoros, I destroy your Magnum and Bochiborof!" The red scythe was tossed like a boomerang and its blade slashed to pieces the remaining opposing creatures.

Bochiborof stepped back as he looked at the five creatures on his opponent's field. There was no way he could hope to recover from such a situation. Drawing his next card, he quickly did his move.

"I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge and send the top two cards of my deck into the graveyard, then I bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace and with its effect I evolve Hellborof into Duenyan Emperor! Turn end."

"That won't help you much, I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash. Deathgoros, attack and I revive Ninjariban, Dragon Edge which brings out Demon Wolf, Soul Eating Moonlight Castle. Deathgoros, triple break his shields!" Demon Subaru ordered and the demonic Dragon used its scythe to slash away three opposing shields.

"Shield trigger activate, I cast Inferno Sign and revive Ninjariban, Dragon Edge whom I equip with Migawari, Nightmare Swastika!"

"It's for naught! Hellborof, break his final shields!" Another order came from Demon Subaru and the winged wolf plush flew towards the remaining two shields and slashed them with its own scythe.

Silence befell upon the scene as Bochiborof checked those cards. He needed just a certain piece to be in the right place, and from then on he would have been safe. His entire future relied on it. Gulping, he raised both to his face. And then his eyes widened with surprise. Demon Subaru tapped his foot and passively asked, "Well?"

"Shield trigger activate!" Bochiborof shouted, his relief ever so obvious. "I summon Holy, Flash Guardian!"

"What the…?"

"With its effect I tap all of your creatures!"

A white jet creature descended from the skies and fired a bright beam upon all of Demon Subaru's creatures, binding each of them, their owner scoffing.

"Tsh, I end here. Let's see what you can do now. You're simply on borrowed time."

"I beg to disagree." The little wolf slyly smiled, thing which caught his opponent's interest. "My turn, I summon Magnum, Allshot Doll! Demon Wolf gives slayer to each of your creatures, right? Then I attack one of your Ninjaribans with Duenyan Emperor and both die!" The black cat plush lashed at the blue ninja plush, both of which disappeared in an explosion. "When Duenyan is destroyed, I can revive all Funky Knightmares under it, so I bring back Hellborof and mill 2 cards from my deck. Then I equip Hellborof with Go To Hell, Annihilator Blade and with its effect I can revive a Funky Knightmare that costs 5 or less, so I evolve Hellborof into Duenyan once more!" The fat black cat reappeared once more, this time wielding a bone scythe. "Magnum's effect, I brought out two creatures for free, so I destroy Ninjariban once, Migawari flips to Karakurigaeshi, Ninja Mansion and he stays, then I destroy Ninjariban a second time for good and Karakurigaeshi flips to Utsusemihenge, Blame Demon Dragon!" The cowboy doll fired two shots at the ninja, destroying him and causing his shuriken to become a black ninja Demon Command Dragon. "Duenyan, attack another Ninjariban and Go To Hell revives my own Ninjariban with Fanbai, Dragon Flower Fan!" A blue ninja reappeared, this time wielding a blue fan, after which the cat lashed at an opposing ninja, both of them disappearing in an explosion. "With Duenyan's, Hellborof's and Go To Hell's effects, I reset my creature! I brought out three creatures for free, so Magnum destroys Holy and targets Utsusemihenge twice. Utsusemihenge's effect, it stays and I return 8 cards from my graveyard back into my deck!" The cowboy doll now blew the white jet with one of its bullets and then it shot the ninja dragon twice, but the latter resisted its attacks. "Now… I attack with Duenyan and Go To Hell revives Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter which mills 3 cards from my deck! Magnum destroys Duenyan and I reset it, Hellborof mills 2 more cards, and then Magnum shall also destroy Bochiborof and Utsusemihenge!"

Demon Subaru narrowed his eyes as he saw his opponent repeat the last moves over and over. He was sacrificing 5 cards from his deck and then recovering 4, basically milling a card with each cycle. And to top it off, Magnum kept destroying his attacking Duenyan, thus rendering useless any opposing block, ninja strike or shield trigger. Whatever Bochiborof was planning, Demon Subaru would not be able to stop it. During the loop of destruction in which the royal cat was shot down by the cowboy doll, only for the winged purple wolf to use its bone scythe of revival to bring the proud feline back from the dead, causing the cowboy to turn its guns to the ninja dragon that could not be harmed, he noticed that at one point Bochiborof did not focus on emptying his deck, but instead he had evolved that Fanbai wielding Ninjariban into a second Duenyan Emperor. The whole graveyard filling trick was but a distraction to his true intentions, which lied in those three particular cards. Bochiborof had noticed the suspicious look that Demon Subaru was casting him, so he decided to distract him some more, by momentarily pausing the loop and sacrificing his Duenyan equipped with Go To Hell on the weaker BloodRayne and Time Tripper, which still had Slayer from Demon Wolf. His opponent decided to play along and faked being oblivious. As more time passed, his patience was beginning to wear off, so eventually he snapped in a calm passive aggressive manner.

"How long do you think you can keep on with your cheap tricks?"

"I'm almost there." Bochiborof wiped the sweat off of his face and checked his deck. "Yes, I have 5 cards left! Pay attention, Demon Subaru-sama, you'll love this!"

"Keh, let's see what you've labored so much to set up."

"I attack with Duenyan and Go To Hell revives Bochiborof. I mill 3 cards… and return a third Duenyan from the graveyard to my hand!"

"Ho? That's new."

"Magnum destroys Duenyan and then by its own effect as well as Hellborof's and Go To Hell's, I reset it. Magnum targets Bochiborof and Utsusemihenge. Then I attack with my other Duenyan and use Fanbai's effect to mill your deck!" The second royal cat meowed aggressively and waved its blue fan, causing the top card of the opposing deck to fall into the graveyard. "Invasion, I evolve that Duenyan into a third one! Then with Magnum's effect I destroy it! The third Duenyan's effect resets Ninjariban with Fanbai and the second Duenyan. Magnum targets Utsusemihenge twice and I return 8 cards from the graveyard back into my deck. And now… I've reset my field."

"Impossible… you'll keep doing this loop over and over until I deck out." Demon Subaru widened his eyes in a rare display of genuine shock.

"Exactly, this is my power, master," Bochiborof proudly claimed. "Duenyan, attack and Go To Hell revi-"

"I've seen enough."

Much to the surprise of the wolf plush, his opponent started packing his cards and called off all of his creatures.

"Demon Subaru-sama, what are you doing?"

"It's clear when I've lost, there is no point in continuing."

Thus Bochiborof called off his own creatures as well. As he packed up his deck, Demon Subaru walked by his side and spoke with a surprisingly proud tone in his voice, "Good job, I never expected such skill from you."

The purple wolf paused and stared at him with his now big blue eyes.

"Master…"

"You've proven your worth." The hooded one shortly nodded, keeping a neutral expression.

"So does this really mean that I…?" The plush toy was at a loss for words, he felt so happy that he was almost on the verge of tears, so he shook his head to compose himself and was quick to offer his deck to the other. "Here, this is a token of my loyalty."

Demon Subaru was also taken aback by the gesture. He never expected to be gifted with such a strong deck, but while he probably would not have used such a boring loop, the cards themselves were indeed tempting, so in the end he accepted the offer and slid it into his jacket's free pocket. His minion then broke the silence once more, this time by posing a question, "What is our next move?"

"We're headed to the college, tomorrow's a busy day."

"Understood!"

The late night's moon shone upon them as they both walked out of the park. With Demon Subaru by his side, Bochiborof had finally regained his purpose, and he would have done whatever it took to make sure that the two of them achieved their goals. With Bochiborof by his side, Demon Subaru had regained a loyal servant, and while at first he was indifferent to the idea of cooperating with others, he could not deny that in a way he was glad to have that little wolf keep him company like he did fifty years ago.


	8. Safety

Never did Hajime expect to be seeking the warmth of his own bed so much as he did on that night. Once he got inside the mansion, all tired from his nightly adventure, he was quick to turn the security systems back on, after which he tiptoed his way back upstairs, changed into his pajamas and crashed on the soft cotton sheets and plush-like mattress. He fell into slumber almost immediately, his mind taking him to faraway lands of peaceful dreams.

Hajime greeted the morning sun with a genuine smile, his rest had been very refreshing. The clock showed that it was 9 AM, but his courses were starting in an hour so there was no rush. After a warm shower he was dressed up and ready to go. Tsugumi awaited him in the kitchen with breakfast, and thankfully she was oblivious to his sneaking out.

"Good morning, sweetheart." She smiled warmly, gesturing him to sit at the table.

"Morning." The boy stretched his limbs and took his seat. "Look, about last night…"

"Don't worry, I know that we both went a little overboard, it's no big deal," Tsugumi assured him. "I just didn't want to manage you."

"No, I understand, I shouldn't have said those things to you either," Hajime replied.

"I do have some good news!"

"Oh?"

"Subaru finally phoned me early in the morning. He told me that he was not the killer."

"That's great, grandma!"

"However…" her tone became a bit somber. "…he fears that Demon Subaru may have gained another body. The killings seem to suit his style almost too well."

He nodded in agreement, "That is quite the possibility indeed. But even if it is him, that won't scare me off. I promise I'll do my best to help the police find Ken's murderer."

"Hajime, I think it's best you stood out of trouble. If you keep going on like this, how long will it be until you become the next victim?"

"That's a risk I'll have to assume."

And thus he began eating his omelet, Tsugumi sighing in defeat as she turned to the window.

A while later, Hajime headed out. The sky was surprisingly sunny for an autumn morning. People were filling the sidewalks, rushing to their jobs or whatever businesses they had downtown. It was a very pleasant and welcoming atmosphere, almost as if nothing bad had ever happened the previous day. But he knew all too well that once he would have arrived at college and taken his lonely seat in class, he would have felt Ken's absence. His entire life was so safe and normal up until the previous day. Now he was sure that it would have never been the same again, and not even the cheeriest of days could have managed to make things better.

Upon setting foot in the large building, he noticed something peculiar – the corridors were all empty, almost as if the entire place had been abandoned. It unnerved him. And then he heard voices coming from ahead, prompting him to investigate. After a bit of walking, he looked out a window and saw that there was a gathering in the college's inner yard. Not wasting any time, he went to the closest exit and joined the crowd. Through the many silhouettes of his peers he managed to recognize a red cowboy suit and he was quick to tap that individual's shoulder.

"Huh?" Jack turned around. "Oh, good morning."

"Morning." Hajime shared a quick handshake with him. "What's this all about?"

"The dean's holding a speech, so we're starting the courses a bit late. I think he'll talk about what happened yesterday."

"Hopefully they'll do something about it fast."

"Look, here he comes!"

A short balding man dressed in a formal suit coupled with a red tie walked up the podium, checked the microphone and looked around the crowd. Tense silence reigned for a couple of moments until he cleared his throat. Thus he began his speech in a rather soft spoken voice.

"Dear students of Sagakin University, it is with a heavy heart that I must announce you of the unfortunate tragedy which had occurred yesterday at the cafeteria, where one of your peers, Ken Sakaki, had been discovered brutally murdered." He paused for a moment to look at their reactions. "Please, do not let this get the best of you. It is important that one go through such events with a clear mind. I cannot emphasize more on how your personal safety is important to each and every one of us." And then his voice began to crack a little. "So, I beg of you, if you happen to find any clue whatsoever that can lead to us finding who committed that horrible act, please contact the local authorities immediately."

A taller man who seemed overweight, wearing a blue uniform that had a couple of badges, also went on the podium.

"Ryuta Nakamura, the chief of police, also has a word to address to you. Please listen closely to his advice," the dean concluded and stepped aside, allowing the other man to take his place.

"Thank you," the chief spoke into the microphone. "As you are well aware, yesterday the police had interrogated every student present on the campus. So far we have found no possible trail that can lead us to a suspect, but the search is ongoing. Until we get to the bottom of this, I have to offer you all some safety tips to make sure that this tragedy won't happen again." He stopped to get a better view of the crowd and was pleased to see that the majority seemed very interested in what he had to say. "First off, even if your courses end late at night, be sure to always head back home with a friend. Always walk under the streetlights and avoid going in dark secluded areas at all costs."

And so the speech continued for almost half an hour, the two authority figures sometimes interacting with the crowd and answering questions. When the meeting finally ended, everyone went their own way back to their classes. The cowboy followed his blond colleague down the corridor, the two discussing with lowered voices.

"Jeez, those safety measures were so basic, it's almost like he thought we're five or something!" Jack rolled his eyes with slight annoyance.

"Can you blame him after what happened? At least he gave us their phone number," Hajime argued.

"Hah, as if we didn't know it or weren't able to google it."

"Whatever."

"I must admit, I really cringed when that wannabe sheriff started shit talking violent video games and the 'occult', whatever the hell that's supposed to be."

"You're not the only one, I heard a few voices in the back mocking him."

"No wonder the police in this town is so out of touch." And then Jack's tone became a bit more serious. "So you got any idea about what happened to Ken?"

"None yet, and from the looks of it, the police aren't faring any better either." Hajime sighed in frustration. "I just can't wrap my mind around it, who would want to do this to him?"

"No offense, but Ken was indeed a bit of an asshole sometimes. And even then, he didn't really strike me as the type who'd make enemies on the whim."

"Exactly my point, Jack. Most likely the one who did it was some kind of psychopathic stalker."

"If what you're saying is true, then we're in deep shit."

"The last time I spoke to Ken, he was at the snack bar and was headed to college. I want to head there today and investigate the area. There must be some clues we can gather from there!"

"I don't know, partner, it sounds a bit dangerous for you to be doing detective business."

"Someone has to get to the bottom of this before it's too-"

All of a sudden, their conversation was interrupted by a loud scream echoing in the hallways. The duo joined those who rushed into the classroom from which the noise came, and there they were stunned upon entering. A young professor, in her early thirties, was lying mauled on the table, her chest and belly torn wide open, a few of her inner organs splattered on the floor, her mouth and neck tied up by intestines. Some girls rushed out to call the authorities. Before Jack could take in what had just happened, Hajime pulled him away from the crowd and whispered in his ear, "There's no more doubt about it – the killer's main target is this college."

"You're right, there was another victim discovered last night in an alleyway not too far from here," the cowboy muttered.

And thus the two sat there and watched the older adults run into the horrific scene to clean the mess and take the remains away.

Inside an air vent, Bochiborof giggled at the sight of those horrified humans. Demon Subaru remained neutral as they both witnessed the scene, licking his bloodied claws in a bored manner.

"Congratulations on that swift kill, master!" the plush whispered. "It was smart the way you took advantage of that assembly's chaos to pull that one woman away from the crowd. If I'm not bothering, may I ask what was the purpose? To send them a message that you're always watching and they're never safe?"

"Not quite," the hooded one shortly answered.

"Then what was your reasoning behind this action, sire?"

"Feeding."

"Just that…?" The little wolf stared at him, slightly dumbfounded.

"Yeah." The black haired killer began retreating down the vent.

"Kind of anticlimactic, don't you think?" Bochiborof brought up as he followed suit.

"Practical things usually are not entertaining."

"If you say so…"

Making sure that the coast was clear for them, Demon Subaru jumped outside of the building through the air vent's hole, his underling doing the same, both of them landing in a bush and sneaking out of the yard. Once they found themselves in the protection of an alleyway's shadows, the demonic teen pulled out a cell phone he had stolen earlier that day and dialed a number.

"So what are we doing next?" the purple creature eagerly asked.

"The time has come," his master solemnly stated as he waited for his call to be answered.

"For wha-?" The Funky Knightmare was quickly silenced by a raised palm.

"Edo Kanda's the name, joking around is my game!" a cheery old man's voice spoke on the other line.

"Edo-kun, it's been too long!" Demon Subaru spoke with a kind old man's voice, one that sounded exactly like his human counterpart.

"Suby? I didn't know that you got yourself a new phone number! I haven't heard from you in ages!"

"I know, buddy, I was remembering the old days and thought of calling my best friend."

"Oh yeah, remember how we'd go out surfing during the day and then have a video game and dueling marathon all night? Haha, those were indeed some fun times!"

"Exactly. Listen, Edo-kun, why don't we meet up at the beach by lunch? I was thinking that we should ride the waves just one last time."

"I'm sorry, but you know we're not that in shape anymore."

"Pretty please with sugar on top, Edo, old buddy, old pal, old bro?"

The man on the other line said nothing for a few moments, silence befalling between them, and then he exploded in playful laughter.

"Hahaha, what the hell, sure thing! I'll be dusting my surfboard right away!"

"Awesome! See you there, Edo-kun!"

And thus he hung up and hid the phone back in his jacket. Lowering his head, Demon Subaru changed his appearance, and once he took off his hood, he revealed that his hair had grown longer and gone white, his skin had wrinkled, his eyes had gone brown and his fangs had turned into normal human teeth. Bochiborof stared at him in awe, but he simply gestured for the minion to follow him as he started walking in the beach's direction.


	9. A Party of Hide and Seek

The sea's waves crashed against the sandy shore, a calm melody that played randomly in the broad daylight. Accompanied by the hungered chirps of seagulls that were circling in the sky while looking for prey, nature painted yet another entrancing picture at the beach of Sagakin. Perhaps those with a dreamier side would have longed to find a place in said painting, while the rest of the world would have simply called it 'beautiful' and went on their way not giving another damn about it.

By noon time Edo descended its stairs, holding a blue surfboard under his arm. He had not realized until then how much he had missed the salty air, the breeze of the sea and that beautiful sight of the waves crashing. He had been so busy entertaining adults and, later in his life, kids that he had almost forgotten the magic of such moments. As he started to feel the warm sand's touch on his sandals, he placed the surfboard down and yawned, stretching his old body. That phone call he had received earlier interrupted his breakfast and morning coffee.

"Back to this old beach again… Last time I've been here was when Suby and I went for our final surfing session before I left for Las Vegas." Edo gave a short sigh, so much time had passed. "I wonder why he wanted us to pick up this old habit _now_ of all times."

Since it was the middle of autumn, the holiday season was over and thus nobody else came to the beach anymore. And yet, with such sunny weather, there was no feeling of desertion or desolation.

"That Suby's late. Maybe he's too caught up in one of his books." Edo tapped his foot. "Oh well, might as well have some fun on my own."

Thus he stripped down to just his blue swim trunks, picked up the surfboard and dashed into the welcoming sea with the same youthful glee he had kept throughout his entire life. The waves were a bit tall and wild, but he managed to handle them quite well. Or was it old age finally getting to his body after all the years of doing both verbal and physical comedy? Still, up there he felt as if he had become one with the sea, maybe like his favorite creatures Aqua Surfer and Aqua Naruto Surfer. It was an almost personal kind of freedom, akin to that of a bird flying. Time seemed to have frozen as he rode those waves without a care in the world. And then he noticed from afar that there was something on the sea. Maybe his buddy had finally arrived. Edo changed the course and headed back, but as he got off his surfboard and stepped on the shore, he saw that it was not the surprise he had hoped for.

The severed head of a youngster lay on the sand in a pool of blood, not too far from its decapitated body which looked like it was also torn open with its entrails hanging out. Another body in a similar state was just a few feet away, albeit with the head still on its shoulders. It looked like it had belonged to a man in his late thirties. A third one, this time a young woman, was even a bit farther than the other two, once again in a similar state, albeit the entrails had been used to tie the mouth and neck. Edo suppressed the urge to scream while he recalled the news he had seen on TV about two brutal murders that had been committed around the college area. As he began dressing up, he heard someone shout his name and looked ahead to see Subaru running down the stairs, waving at him. From the look on his face, he seemed to be as terrified.

"Suby!" Edo shouted as he reunited with his old friend and gave him a quick hug.

"I saw a strange figure carry a large bag down here and got worried," Subaru confessed.

"It must be the one who did the college killings! Hurry, we have to alert the cops!"

His friend nodded and then they both headed for the stairs in the hope that they would not become the next victims. How quickly that peaceful scene had turned into a horrific nightmare. It dawned on Edo that indeed life liked to oscillate between those two rather extreme poles. And then Subaru fell on his knees, a hand rubbing his back and his face in agony.

"Suby?"

"It's that damn backache again…" the long haired one grumbled in pain. "Go ahead, I'll catch up with you in a moment!"

Although he hated the idea of leaving his best friend behind, he knew that he would keep his promise, so Edo nodded and ran up the stairs. But as he did so, he realized that Subaru did not bring a surfboard, was wearing a strange jacket he had never seen before and…

"Wait a minute, Suby never had back problems…" Edo whispered to himself as he reached the top of the stairs.

A loud thunder resounded and everything went black.

When Edo opened his eyes, he was treated with the sight of the entire city being engulfed in flames. His first instinct was to look behind. Everything had disappeared - the stairs, the beach, his best buddy. It was all one huge wall of fire, almost as if hell itself had risen. More so, he could not hear any screams or other signs of life from the entire city. Maybe he was the only one left? He could not help but feel a strong sense of déjà vu, as if he had experienced something similar many years ago.

" _He's back…_ " the dreaded phrase which Tsugumi had told him over the phone suddenly echoed in his head.

As much as he did not want to believe it, at that point the supposition was the only thing that seemed to match all the weirdness which had been going on. And right then his worst fears had been confirmed as he heard the echoes of a terrifyingly familiar hissed voice from the distance.

"Did you miss us playing together?"

There was no more doubt, it was _him_. Not wasting any more time, Edo started running as fast as his body still allowed him to, searching for a place to hide in the inferno. Soon enough he heard rushed steps stomping from behind, as if he was at a marathon and someone was trying their best to catch up. In that moment he did not want to look behind and see whoever it was, for he was sure that in his fear he would have tripped over and allowed himself to be caught. And so he kept racing in that labyrinth of flames for what seemed like an eternity, although deep inside he wanted badly to stop and catch his breath. Everything was so hot and those flames were starting to make him see everything all blurry. And then his prayers were answered, he saw a dark park which was not ignited and dashed inside. As if on cue, the gates locked themselves right after he entered.

Much to his surprise, the inside of the park seemed to be the opposite of what he had gone through. It was devoid of any color whatsoever, its air was rather cold and there was an ominous wind howling as if he were in a cave. He leaned against a brick wall to relax and searched his pockets. It was then that it dawned on him – he had forgotten his phone back home! That meant that he had to find another way to contact someone and ask for help.

The metallic gates rustled as someone was climbing them, prompting Edo to hide behind a tree. His pursuer then landed inside the park as well. It was Subaru, the one he had met at the beach who was donning that hooded black jacket. The one who now had black eyes with shining red irises and whose smile bore sharp fangs. Demon Subaru… But unlike the rest of them, he looked young, as young as they were fifty years ago.

"I know you're here," the devilish one said while looking around. "Let's play a new game - hide and seek. I'll hide."

What was the meaning of that? The last thing he wanted was to find that monster. If anything, Edo was the one who wanted to hide. He peeked to see his black haired pursuer walk a few steps and sit down in a grassy meadow, looking bored. Was it some kind of sick joke? Edo wouldn't stick to find out.

He snuck out of his hideout and went to find an exit, but much to his shock, there was none. All of the gates were locked and the surrounding metallic fences were too narrow for him to fit out. Whenever he tried climbing the bars, he would get zapped off. As much as he hated to admit it, he was trapped inside with no other option than to play along.

Thus he returned to the not-so-subtle hideout. Demon Subaru sat there on the meadow and acted as if he didn't even know Edo was approaching him. The bald man took slow steps, shaking all the while as a million fears raced through his mind. In the end he stopped in front of the black haired one and gulped, after which he spoke with a trembling voice, "F-found you?"

"My turn." A grin appeared on Demon Subaru's face, whose claws then grew as he got up.

In that instant Edo ran off and was once again pursued. In a matter of moments, he reached the very gate through which he entered only to find it still locked. He desperately pulled at the bars with no avail as he heard the sadistic hissed laughter come closer from behind. As a last resort, he took out his deck and turned to face his fears. The stack of cards glowed blue and Demon Subaru stopped upon seeing it. The challenge had been made, so he may as well have accepted it. With a sly smile of anticipation, he produced his own deck and made two dueling tables rise from the ground, thus enabling them to set their cards and begin their duel.

"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." The cowboy humanoid appeared by Demon Subaru's side.

"I summon Mypad, Start Dash." The blue humanoid wielding an iPad and sitting on a floating platform appeared by Edo's side.

"BloodRayne reduces her cost, so I summon Jenny, the Dismantling Doll." The white haired doll in a dark red dress and wielding a razor weapon appeared and forced the opponent to reveal his hand: Pakurio, Tune Again, All For One, Machine of D and Shuff, Eureka, out of which the first one was discarded.

"Mypad reduces his cost, so I summon Shuff, Eureka." A blue robot wearing a black top hat and a red and white suit appeared, shuffling a deck of cards in his hands. "With Shuff's effect I choose the number 4. Now you can't cast spells which cost 4 and your creatures which cost 4 can't attack or block!"

"Small fish that I'll gladly take care of," the black haired one dismissed. "I summon Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter." The purple wolf plushy with long hair and red boxing gloves appeared, causing the top three cards of his deck to go into the graveyard, those being Ninjariban, Dragon Edge, Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie and Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge, the latter of which went back into his hand.

"I summon Aqua Super Emeral." The green liquid humanoid appeared as its owner switched a shield with a card from his hand. "I attack with Shuff and choose the number 5 this time, break his shield!" he ordered and the robot tossed a card from the deck it was shuffling which went through one of the opposing shields and tore it to pieces.

"Keh, it's time to get serious – I summon Uroborof, Dragon Edge and equip him with Go To Hell, Annihilator Blade!" Another wolf plushy with boxing gloves appeared, but this one had short hair and was wielding a dark blue bone scythe. "With Go To Hell's effect I revive Ninjariban, Dragon Edge which brings out Demon Wolf, Soul Eating Moonlight Castle!" The blue ninja plushy appeared and brought the wolf shaped castle along. "Demon Wolf makes gives slayer to all of my creatures, so I attack Shuff with Jenny!"

"Aqua Super Emeral, block the attack!" Edo ordered and the green Liquid People stood in the way of the Death Puppet, both of them meeting their end by her razor.

"I end my turn and destroy 4 of my creatures to Dragsolution Go To Hell into Deathshiraz, Devil Corrupt King!" One by one, the short haired wolf cut down the cowboy, the ninja and the long haired wolf, after which he stabbed himself with the scythe and let it float in the air to unleash the demonic dragon with a serpent head from inside. "When Deathshiraz is Dragsolutioned, I destroy one of your creatures!" The creature gave a ghostly moan and picked up the scythe to cut down the suited robot as well.

Edo gulped nervously. Now both of their battle zones had been reset, his opponent having a giant finisher while he was left for nothing. Thankfully, the next card he drew gave him a bit of hope and he quickly placed it on the table, saying, "I expand All For One, Machine of D!"

"Ho, I see you got a D2 Field too." Demon Subaru licked his lips as he saw the entire place turn into a blue laboratory in which two interconnected glass containers and a giant spanner were the center of attention. "Interesting, very interesting! My turn, I summon Vader, Dark Armor." A knight donning a grayed brown armor with a skull helmet and a large shield appeared. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect, I send the top card of my deck to the graveyard and if it's a creature I draw a card." The top card was Duenyan Emperor, enabling him to draw.

Edo's hand then glowed blue as he drew his next card and a smile of relief came to him. He quickly charged mana and spoke, "I summon VV-8, Forbidden Machine! With its effect I check the top 5 cards of my deck, take 2 to my hand and put the rest on VV-8 as seals."

Demon Subaru raised an eyebrow at that peculiarity as a white robot with motorcycle features appeared in one of the glass containers, three cards glowing upon it as seals.

"I've heard about this seal mechanism before, you'll summon Commands that share a civilization with the sealed creature to unseal it," the hissed fiend remarked, although his usually talkative opponent stared at him silently. "Very well, let's see what else you can do!"

"I end my turn and use All For One's effect, I destroy one of my creatures and replace it with a non-evolution Water creature which costs up to 2 more! I destroy Mypad and replace it with Shuff, Eureka." The spanner crushed the iPad wielding humanoid and made another suited robot with a deck of cards in its hands appear from the other glass container. "Shuff is a Water Command, so I take off a seal from VV-8! Then with Shuff's effect I choose 7."

"Incapacitate my Deathshiraz, will you? But I've got other tricks up my sleeve – Dragsolution! Demon Wolf flips to Minagorosseo, Wolf Demon Dragon!" The wolf shaped castle grew limbs and got up, howling. "I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge, mill the top 2 cards of my deck and bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace!" The horned and winged purple wolf plush appeared wielding the same bone scythe, howled to cause Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and Black Psycho, Revenge to fall into his owner's graveyard, and used the weapon to cut a hole into the sky and make a dark winged palace descend from it. "Welcome Hell's effect, I evolve Hellborof into Black Psycho, Revenge and discard those two cards from your hand!" The wolf plush then evolved into a dark purple demon wearing buffoon clothes and wielding a sword and a shield, causing the opponent to discard Wild Speed, D2W and Giga Speed, D2W2. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect once more." BloodRayne, Start Dash fell into the graveyard and Demon Subaru drew.

"It's alright, don't worry, you've got this under control," Edo encouraged himself in his mind and then he spoke. "I cast Tune Again and with its effect I can return a card in the battle zone to its owner's hand. I return a seal from VV-8. Then I attack with Shuff, choose 7 once again and break another shield!"

"Vader, block the attack!" The knight stood in front of the robot and engaged it in battle, both disappearing in an explosion. "Now my move, I summon Magnum, Allshot Doll," A blue puppet dressed as a cowboy appeared proudly showing off its guns. "Minagorosseo, break his shield!" Demon Subaru ordered and the wolf shaped castle rushed into one of Edo's shields, shattering it. "Black Psycho, double break his shields!" Another order came and the demon slashed away two more shields with the sword.

"Shield trigger activate, I cast Tune Again and send Magnum back to your hand! And now my turn, I summon Cyber N World and unseal VV-8, Forbidden Machine!" A tall black and white robot with large hands appeared and took off the last seal, causing the glass container to open itself and make the white cyclops robot with motorcycle wheels on its hands and feet emerge. "When VV-8 is unsealed, I get an extra turn! Now Cyber N World's effect, we both shuffle our hands and graveyards back into our decks and draw 5 cards. Now VV-8, suicide with Minagorosseo!" The cyclops robot vroomed its engines and lashed at the wolf castle, both of them going out in an explosion. "I end this turn and with All For One's effect I destroy Cyber N World and replace it with a new VV-8!" The spanner crashed the black and white robot and made another motorcycle robot appear in the glass container. "I look at the top 5 cards, take 2 in my hand and set the rest as new seals. And now for my extra turn, I summon Giga Speed, D2W2!" A white robotic tank with two heads and a drill in its front appeared and shrieked. "Giga Speed is a Water Command, so I take off a seal from VV-8. Giga Speed's effect, I send a card in the battle zone to its owner's hand, so I return a seal to my hand. Then since I have a D2 Field in the battle zone, I can also send a creature to its owner's hand, so I return your Deathshiraz!" The tank shrieked and fired a blue beam from its drill which made the scythe wielding demonic serpent dragon disappear. "And now I activate All For One's Denjara Switch!" Edo flipped the D2 Field card upside down. "When I summon a creature and trigger its effects, by this Denjara Switch I can trigger those effects one more time!"

"What the…?" Demon Subaru whispered and took a step back.

"Giga Speed's effect, I return the final seal to my hand and unseal VV-8, Forbidden Machine!" The glass container once more opened and the cyclops robot walked out and vroomed its engines. "Now I'll get another extra turn! As for Giga Speed's other effect, I send Black Psycho back to your hand!" The tank fired another blue beam from its drill and made the sword and shield wielding demon vanish as well. "How do you like that, impostor? With my extra turn looping strategy, you'll never be able to do what you want!"

"Keh, cheap tricks I'll soon deal with." The hooded one crossed his arms.

"We'll see about that. VV-8, triple break his shields!" Edo ordered and the white robot jumped and used its wheel hands to hack away three shields.

"Shield trigger activate, I summon Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and destroy VV-8!" The horned creature with a grey armor and red cape appeared and slashed the robot in two with its scythe.

"You may have taken down my trump card, but it's not over yet! I start my extra turn, summon Aqua Super Emeral and swap one of my shields. Then I also summon Shuff, Eureka and choose the number 5. Giga Speed, break his final shields!"

"Ninja Strike 4, I summon Falconer, Lightfang Ninja and block the attack!" A small plane like creature appeared and stood in the way of the tank's attack, getting destroyed in the process. "Your extra turn spree ends here," Demon Subaru growled. "I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash and evolve him into Black Psycho, Revenge!" The cowboy humanoid appeared and quickly turned into the sword and shield wielding buffoon demon which caused the opponent to discard Falconer, Lightfang Ninja and Streaming Shaper. "Black Psycho, attack Giga Speed and S-Rank Invasion "Zombie", I evolve him into Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie which gives -9000 to Aqua Super Emeral!" The demon quickly evolved into a dark purple motorcycle robot with red eyes, sharp teeth and a wheel claw which it used to crush the green liquid humanoid and the white robotic tank. "Then Death Hands, break the shield he set up!"

That move took Edo by surprise. He actually expected his opponent to be afraid of the shield trigger he had set up. But lo, he straightforward went right into it.

"Shield trigger, I summon The Clock, Ragnarok and end your turn here!" He revealed the card and made a spiky blue haired humanoid with clock arms on its chest appear. "My turn, I summon VV-8, Forbidden Machine, draw 2 cards and put 3 seals on it. Shuff, attack Death Hands and I choose 6!" The suited robot tossed a 6 of Clubs on the purple robot, incapacitating it, then it tossed a 4 of Swords on the smaller creature and destroyed it. "Turn end."

"Just how long do you think you can stall?"

"As long as I must to put an end to your evil!"

"I like that attitude…" Demon Subaru confessed as he bore his fangs in a smile of pleasure. "Quite a lot, actually! I summon Savage, Forbidden U." A faceless grey armored and caped humanoid appeared and put the top card of his deck into the graveyard, that being Inferno Sign, after which he returned Falconer, Lightfang Ninja to his hand. "Then I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash and Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation. I end my turn and destroy all of my creatures to flip Welcome Hell to Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King!" The winged palace fired two beams upon the surprised cowboy, fat ghost, caped humanoid and purple robot, destroying them, after which it cracked open to reveal a horned demonic serpent dragon wielding a bone scythe. "When Deathgoros is Dragsolutioned, I destroy 2 of your creatures!" The creature growled and slashed both The Clock and Shuff with its scythe.

"No matter how many creatures you destroy, it's all futile in the end - I summon Wild Speed, D2W!" A white motorcycle with a head and a drill in the front appeared. "It's a Water Command so I take off a seal from VV-8! Then with its effect, I check the top 2 cards of my deck and put a non-evolution creature that costs 6 or less into the battle zone. And since I have a D2 Field in the battle zone, Wild Speed gives the Sonic Command race to all of my creatures! I bring out The Clock, Ragnarok, take off another seal and end my turn."

"So now you're making your creatures walking seal breakers. Such skills are quite useful, I dare say. I summon another Savage, Forbidden U." Another faceless humanoid appeared and this time it milled Honenbe, Skeletal Guardian while its owner returned Black Psycho, Revenge to his hand. "Then I evolve Savage into Black Psycho and discard 2 cards from your hand!" The humanoid turned into the purple buffoon demon once more and caused the opponent to lose Onikamas, Strange Flow and Pakurio. "I attack with Black Psycho and S-Rank Invasion "Zombie", I evolve him into Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie from the graveyard which gives -9000 to Wild Speed!" The demon quickly turned into the purple motorcycle robot once more which roared and grabbed the white motorcycle with its wheel claw, crushing it. "Deadzone, break his final shield!"

Edo took cover as the robot punched his shield into smithereens. He froze in shock when he saw that it had nothing to save him at that point.

"I attack with Deathgoros which revives Death Hands and by whose effect I'll destroy The Clock too!" The horned grey armored creature wielding a scythe arose once again from the dead and this time it slashed the muscular spiky haired humanoid with clock arms on its chest. "Deathgoros, todomeda!" The direct attack order came and the serpent dragon used its own scythe to throw Edo straight into the brick wall near them.

And thus their game was over. Demon Subaru quickly went to the other table and searched the opponent's deck. His smile grew when he saw Bluenika, Dragon Soul Fortress between them, the first piece of All Over The World. Edo slowly opened his eyes and groaned in pain. When his blurry sight got clearer, the last thing he saw was the familiar sight of his surfboard right before it got violently shoved down his throat, tearing his skull in half.

Then the colorless park disappeared, revealing that all this time they had never left the beach and the only dead body there was that of Edo's. Bochiborof, who had been watching the whole scene from a sheet while eating popcorn, applauded his master's performance with glee and asked, "Sire, are we going to leave this body to be found as well?"

"No, I don't want the other chosen duelists to grow more alerted of my presence."

Demon Subaru pulled out a large black bag from his jacket and hid the corpse inside. Afterwards he used his claws to slash the surfboard into many pieces which he then threw far into the sea. That was the end of Edo Kanda. Pleased with the show, Bochiborof packed his own stuff and the two headed back to the city. But once they reached the stairs, Demon Subaru suddenly collapsed on his knees and gasped for air.

"Milord, he is dead now, you can drop the act," the wolf plushy reasoned, but he got no response from his master whose limbs started to shake. "Demon Subaru-sama, are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" he growled and forced himself up. "Let's go."

"You don't look so good, maybe you should sit down and rest."

The demonic teen ignored his servant's pleas and started climbing the stairs, lost in thought. That whole murder had taken up all of his powers, regardless of how much he had fed off of his victim's fear. Many years ago, when he was possessing the bodies of other humans, he would have been able to pull off such illusions with ease. But now this strange new body he had gotten was surprisingly weak and could not contain his powers. He needed to find some answers, and deep inside he started to fear that maybe his body would have failed him before he managed to achieve his goals.


	10. Detective

Jack Thornton took off his cowboy hat and joined his friends at the table. He hadn't eaten anything for the whole day since he woke up late and had to head straight to college so he wouldn't be late for classes. He just had to forget to set up an alarm… _again_. Fortunately, the hot dog and soda he had gotten from the cafeteria were enough to quench his hunger. Despite him being a foreigner, he had managed to become fairly popular around the campus. His 'exotic' looks were to blame, along with that slight Texan accent which seemed to be rather popular with the ladies. Now if only he managed to get Hajime, whom he considered a friend, to become more sociable…

Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Hajime at the cafeteria, thing which was rather unusual. Excusing himself, he left his friends to call him. As he made his way out of the noisy student-filled area, the phone's ringing got clearer. And then came an answer.

"What is it?" Hajime sounded rather impatient.

"Hey there, partner, I haven't seen you at lunch time. Is everything alright?" Jack asked, trying to hide his worry.

"I'm not hungry. I'm off to investigate the snack bar down the street."

"Huh? And what do you expect to find?"

"Clues to Ken's death."

"Well, why would you think there's something there?"

"That's where he was when I last talked to him. Before he got..." There was a slight pause, and then Hajime changed the subject. "The police haven't progressed much. I need to get my own answers."

"It's barely been a day, man. Let the police do their job if you really want answers," Jack tried to reason with him.

"It may have been a day, but we've already got three bodies! I don't know about you, but I don't want that number to grow."

"You might as well be the next victim with that attitude."

"I don't care."

"You don't care about your safety…?"

Hajime didn't respond. After another moment of silence, just as Jack parted his lips to say something, he hung up. The cowboy sighed and shook his head. Then he started running down the corridors.

Hajime made his way down the sidewalk, ignoring all by-passers. In his mind, he was trying to recreate Ken's journey on the previous day. Despite the rather busy traffic around him, he managed to clear his thoughts enough to focus on his self-imposed mission – they had talked at around 7:15 AM, meaning that there were not that many people on the street, giving a potential stalker the perfect opportunity to catch him alone and off guard. Obviously, the killer could not brutally murder Ken in plain view, so he had to have dragged him in a discreet place. Making a mental note to check each alley between buildings, he entered the snack bar.

The place reeked of some kind of cleaner mixed with an annoying lemon perfume and its wet floor tiles shone in a manner which disturbed his eyes. There were people eating at the tables, ranging from the disinterested college students who were impatient for the weekend to the hardworking adults who were taking a break from the daily jobs they most likely hated. Fortunately, there was no waiting line at the counter. Hajime pushed a bill and two coins, looked at the middle aged bald cook in the eye and said, "A hot dog with ketchup and a can of Lipton ice tea."

"Alright," the man replied and was quick to bring him the products, placing them on the counter and taking the money, but then the young one also pushed another bill under his fingers.

"Here's a tip, if you can give me some information," the blond spoke in a lower tone.

Although a bit unsure at first, the cook looked around and then he took the other bill, lowering to his level and asking, "What kind?"

"You've had a client yesterday morning who looked like this." Hajime then revealed a picture of Ken on his phone. "Can you tell me which way he went when he was done eating?"

"Oh, I remember him. He didn't stay here for too long. He had a sandwich and went off."

"In which direction?"

"The college."

"Did you notice anything strange about him?"

"About him, no. But if I recall… I think some kind of creep in a black jacket with a hood and no sleeves followed him once he got outside."

"A creep, you say? Did you see his face or something?"

"Nope, he had his back turned. That's all I remember."

Hajime nodded to show his gratitude and took the food, having a seat at a vacant table. Ten minutes later, he was done and on his way to further investigate, when he bumped right into Jack as he was exiting the snack bar.

"Watch where you're going!" the blond exclaimed in surprise. "Jack? What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure you're not getting into more trouble than you should." The cowboy tapped his foot, looking at him with a scolding glare.

"Even if I did give a shit about your concern, know that so far I didn't get into any trouble _and_ I've found way more information than those incompetent cops," Hajime arrogantly replied and crossed his arms.

"Oh? Humor me," Jack said as the two of them headed back to the campus, making their way through the crowds of busy citizens.

It did not take long for the rich youngster to surprise his foreign friend. Jack stared with his jaw dropped, and just as he was about to say something, Hajime intervened.

"I'm not doing this for my own personal vendetta. I'm doing this for Ken. The only way he can rest in peace is if someone solved this case once and for all." His blue eyes cast a pleading stare at Jack's green ones. "For his sake, don't rat me out to anyone."

"Alright, alright, you win this one, partner…" The brunette sighed. "But on one condition!"

"Don't tell me I'm stuck doing your homework or something."

"That would be funny, but no. I want to come along too, I'm not leaving you alone in this one."

Now it was Hajime's turn to drop his jaw in surprise.

"You do know that things will get dangerous around me," the blond reasoned.

"I do, that's why I want to be by your side, to keep an eye on you."

Hajime shook his head. Then he gave Jack a confident smile and both of them fist bumped. Now they were a team.

"Very well then, let's do an experiment!" Hajime suggested.

Jack blinked. "What kind?"

"You walk ahead and I'll come from behind. Act as if you don't know that you're being followed."

"Why? You're not planning on running off, are you?"

"Just trust me on this one, okay?"

"This seems weird, but alright."

Jack did as he was instructed. Hajime waited for a few moments and then he followed him from a decent enough distance. There were three alleyways separating them from the perimeter of the university, meaning that he had to calculate both the time and speed needed to sneak up on the victim while also making sure that there was nobody watching. The first alley was excluded because it was too close to the snack bar. The third one, on the other hand, was too close to the university, both being buildings outside of which some people were guaranteed to be. The only chance for an attack was when the victim passed by the middle alley. He took a good look at the buildings surrounding it: one was a computer shop with a schedule from 9 AM to 8 PM, while the other was an abandoned shop.

Having all this in mind, after they both went past the first alley, Hajime sped up his walking a bit in such a way that Jack would not notice him. By the time the unsuspecting cowboy reached the second alley, he struck. With one swoop, Hajime grabbed Jack from behind, covered his mouth and pulled him into the shadows.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" the victim growled out in shock.

Hajime let go of him, a pleased smile on his face.

"So I was right! This might be the place where it happened."

"How are you so sure of this?" Jack inquired, his curiosity now piqued.

"There's no time to explain. We've got to check this alleyway for any forms of aggression," the blond instructed.

"Hopefully this whole detective play won't be for naught."

And so they spent the following minutes inspecting the trash cans and boxes, but unfortunately their search was fruitless. It was only after the cowboy started using his phone to light the dusty walls that they found something - a handprint.

"This looks… interesting?"

"Keep lighting this part of the alley," Hajime demanded.

"Are you sure?" Jack wondered as he did what was asked of him. "This might all be one huge coinci-"

Then they both froze in their steps as they saw many dark red stains on a trash bin that was lying way back in the alley, too far for the public eye to witness. The brunette's hands began to shake as his blond friend went to further inspect. After touching the dried stains a few times and sniffing them, Hajime gave the verdict.

"My theory was correct. Just like the mugger who was killed a few streets away, Ken must have been dragged here and viciously murdered."

"Alright, let's head back and tell the cops about this," Jack suggested. "I don't want to stay here any longer."

"I guess you're right." Hajime nodded, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "Let's go."

Courses were about to resume as they reached the college. Both of them rushed to their lockers to pick up the materials for their next class. Just as Hajime opened the door of his locker, he gasped loudly, startling Jack, who turned to him and asked, "What's wrong?"

A note written in black marker was stuck on the inside of the locker's door, the message in poorly drawn kanji saying: YOU'RE LEARNING ABOUT THIS FASTER THAN I THOUGHT. I'LL AWAIT YOUR NEXT MOVE, HAJIME.

"M-maybe someone's pulling a bad prank..." Jack fearfully reasoned, though deep inside he was dreading the worst.

"No, this is a challenge." Hajime took the paper and squeezed it tightly in his hands. "And I won't be intimidated."

Bochiborof snuck into the same alleyway where the two students had been to previously. He climbed the metallic fence that was near the bloodstained trash bin and he jumped to the other side, where Demon Subaru was sitting on the ground with his back against a wall, feasting on a non-descript hunk of flesh.

"Master, I have delivered the note just as you ordered," he stated, excitement being written all over his face. "The friend was terrified, but Hajime's determination simply grew stronger."

"Good," the devilish teen replied and then he tossed the hunk of flesh on Bochiborof's head, giving him a lump.

Demon Subaru clenched his fist. He was angry. Not even feasting on flesh could restore at least a decent amount of his power. He searched his pocket and pulled out Bluenika, Dragon Soul Fortress. Staring at the card, he telepathically demanded All Over The World to bestow him with some strength until he could manage to complete it once more. Unfortunately, there was no response. No, he would not have that. The grip of his fingers tightened around the card as his hands began to glow purple.

"Ow, my head!" Bochiborof moaned out his pain as he opened his eyes, only to have the surprise of seeing his master back on his feet. "Sire, what are you doing?! It's too early for you to be walking again!"

A cold glare from those black eyes with shining red irises shut him up. Demon Subaru then took out his cell phone once more and dialed another number.

"Sky High Pizzas, how may I help you?" the monotone voice of an old woman answered on the other line.

"Sora-san, it's been too long!" Demon Subaru spoke in the same voice of his human counterpart.

"Oh, thank goodness you finally gave us a sign, Subaru! We've all been really worried about you, especially Tsugumi."

"I know. I've just talked to her a while ago. Listen, I've been doing some digging in regards to all these murder cases."

"You did? I didn't know you could still be bothered to leave your apartment."

"I know, I know, but I've had the exact same fear as Tsugumi that _he_ might be back, which is why I made this extra effort."

"And what did you find?"

"A trail that led me to the old chemical plant. Want to meet up there so we can investigate together?"

"I don't know what to say, I've still got a few more hours of my shift."

"Come on, you know the others are even busier, I don't want to do this alone!"

Sora stood silent as she pondered on the proposal laid in front of her. After a few moments, she sighed and said, "Very well, I'll call my colleague and ask him to start his shift a little early. See you there in an hour or so."

"Alright, see you there!" Demon Subaru then hung up and turned to his servant. "It's time to get back to work."

"Right behind you, master!" Bochiborof eagerly replied, both of them leaving the alleyway's shadows.


	11. Fight for Mother Nature

The last course was taking place as a very passionate middle aged professor kept talking to his students while showing them a slideshow of Aztec ruins. But neither did his words nor the high definition images of picturesque surroundings capture the attention of Hajime, who lay in the very back of the classroom, typing down in a Word document. Ever since he had gotten that disturbing message in his locker, there was only one thing on the blond youth's mind - the killer. And now he was writing down the information he had gathered so far. The suspect:

*was a stalker

*was striking at the college and its surrounding areas

*preferred to drag the victims in dark places

*horribly mutilated them

*left their bodies in the open as a calling card

And most importantly, the suspect:

*was wearing a black jacket

Hajime also made a mental note that the killer's eyes were on him now, turning him into a potential victim. He then recalled his grandmother's warnings about the type of monster he would have to face. Maybe it was not worth it to put his life in danger by delving any further into this mystery. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to the sunset outside. Few black clouds were absently wandering the reddening sky as the night's reign was slowly returning. He recalled how around this time Ken used to accompany him on his way home, their carefree chats, the laughter… No, the risk was worth it. Maybe then the pain inside would hurt less and his friend could finally rest in peace. And yet despite all of this, he could not help but find that bloody sunset a bit unnerving.

Outside in the emptying streets of Sagakin, Sora thought the same thing as she was headed to the old chemical plant for her meeting with Subaru. As promised, she had her colleague start his shift earlier than usual, and then she was quick to change from the pizzeria's red and white uniform into her usual sleeveless dark green kimono which contrasted nicely with the long grey hair which fell down her shoulders. When was the last time she had left work early to do something else? It dawned upon her that life had gotten so monotonous ever since she returned to Japan. Nothing but work, exercise and meditation, along with an occasional weekend meeting with her old friends. At least back in Texas she occasionally helped Rita's family around the farm. Nature had made man and it also gave man a purpose, that was a common thought she had while meditating early in the morning. But why was it now that her purpose seemed uncertain? No longer being a hero, simply settling down to a normal and balanced life… for what? It was the first time in her entire life that she was starting to doubt it all. Maybe there was something more to the nihilism in Subaru's literature which she always used to criticize. She served Nature, she prayed to Nature, but had Nature truly answered back?

She snapped out of her thoughts as the abandoned factory's giant shadow fell upon her. The building had been out of use for half a century, since a group of ecologists in which she participated had persuaded the mayor to shut it down in an effort to put an end to the city's pollution. Unfortunately, that was part of the pleasant memories that she had of that place. Behind those rusted walls painted with mocking graffiti, she had once lived a nightmare, one which she tried her hardest to bury in the darkest corners of her mind. And now as she stood there in front of the imposing structure, she feared that said nightmare might have found a way to crawl back to her. The old woman peeked into one of the broken windows and she saw that the machines were but pale scrap metals of their former selves, ungraciously covered with spider webs and dust, time's cruel punishment. Gulping, she took out her phone and dialed the number which had phoned her a few hours before.

"Yes?" Subaru's pleasant melodious voice asked.

"I'm here. This place is an even bigger mess than I remembered," Sora expressed her slight disgust. "Where are you?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Just go inside and look for clues, I'll soon join you," he answered in his usual serious manner.

"Please hurry, I'm starting to get the creeps," she confessed and hung up.

Mustering all of her courage, Sora pushed the front doors open, their metallic screech echoing in the dusk. A strange red fog suddenly came out of the factory, flowing free into the city's air. The old woman gasped and was quick to cover her mouth. Was it poisonous gas? Subaru would never have called her there if he knew of that. Maybe the killer was setting some kind of trap. If that were the case, they would have been putting themselves in grave danger. Still, she promised she would help with the investigations, so she set foot into the crimson mist.

The tapping of her shoes against the metal floor was the only sound in the entire building. Occasionally she would step on or kick a test tube. What was once a complex of laboratories that produced industrial chemicals for the city had now turned into a shadow of its former self. Just like how humans eventually aged and slowly withered away. And along with their energetic youth, the meaning they once perceived also withered away. Or was it never there to begin with? Was man always caught in this blindfold game, and instead of being the thing he was supposed to catch, meaning was merely the sheet tied around his eyes? Just like she wandered through that fog in search for clues, what if there were none to begin with?

Suddenly, Sora felt a chilling breath upon the back of her neck. She immediately turned around to find… nothing. And then it hit her. She had been in a similar situation in the same place fifty years ago. That meant that the killer had to be _him_. More so, maybe all this time she was not even talking to Subaru on the phone. Not wasting another second, she made a run for it back to the exit. The front gates slammed shut, causing her to stop a few feet in front of them. She was too late, or had all hope died the moment she left the safety of her workplace?

"Sora!" the dreaded hiss which she hoped she would never have to hear again now called from behind in a playful manner.

Right then and there all of her philosophical questions had been swallowed by the irrationality of fear. A fear not of the unknown, quite the opposite, a fear of the known danger that was waiting. It was the fear that worked hand in hand with survival instincts in so many living beings. The old woman turned around and saw a hooded figure emerge from the fog. Much to her shock, beneath said hood was a familiar face. It was the face of Subaru, but his eyes and teeth were changed. He looked young just like fifty years ago. And that only served to fuel her fear even more.

Demon Subaru grinned at her. The fear she was experiencing fed him so well. If he knew she was this scared, maybe he would have picked her to be his first victim. Just as he opened his mouth to deliver a short speech, he was taken by surprise when her fist collided with his cheek in such a manner that he was blown away right into a wall, leaving a dent as well.

Sora wasted no time. She called for help while trying to pull the doors open. When she saw that her strength was futile, she tried the same with the windows, once more to no avail. The hiss came back from the fog, asking, "So, you want to play rough, ey?"

He did not wait for an answer. Sora suddenly got a migraine, she felt so dizzy as if her head was about to explode, her very sight turning red and a loud screech began to ring in her ears. The old woman ran in the opposite direction, and the farther she got from the fiend, the more it all went away. As her mind began to clear up, she recalled that there was an elevator at the other end of the laboratory. When the fog also cleared up, she stopped as she saw that the pathway to the elevator was blocked by a few tens of Demon Subarus. To make matters worse, she heard calm steps coming from behind and she also began to feel the migraines creeping back into her head. Screaming out her frustration, she punched a Demon Subaru, only to have him poof away in a small cloud. And she did so again and again and again, until there was nothing else on her mind than fear and anger. When the footsteps from behind got louder, she gave up trying to fight and simply ran headfirst into the last three, only for them all to vanish in the same way as she ended up in front of the elevator. _Those things were there just to stall her._

Sora pressed the button which opened the elevator's doors and quickly got inside. Just then she heard the rustling of metal from behind. Looking back, she saw Demon Subaru searching a pile of scrap metal and picking out the sharpest pieces. This made her remember that she had done the same thing fifty years ago, and upon reaching the final level of the building, she had been impaled by a metallic spear. Thus she pressed the button for the seventh floor and ran out of the elevator, taking the stairs this time. The old woman found refuge in the janitor's closet on the second floor, right next to the stairs, and so she hid there and waited. After a few moments of silence, she heard footsteps. Sora peeked out and saw Demon Subaru climbing with a bunch of metallic spears under his arms. Was he really trying to reenact the same stunt he pulled back then?

The following moments of waiting did nothing but to fuel her anxiety. Deep inside she hoped it was all a horrible nightmare from which she would soon wake up. But it all felt so real, she could not find the power to convince herself otherwise. As the elevator binged upstairs, it was followed by the noise of spears piercing its doors. Right then, Sora rushed out of the janitor's closet and headed downstairs. Taking her chances, she jumped headfirst into a window, and to her gratefulness, she managed to break through it and fall outside. Into the clean air. Free of the chemical plant. Crashing against the hard concrete.

When she regained consciousness, night had settled upon the city. As she got up, she saw the same ruined factory behind her, making her remember how she got there. Not wasting another second, Sora ran away and started shouting, "Help! He- "

Those shouts soon turned into screams of agony as she felt a sudden pain in her right leg, thing which caused her to fall on her knees. Looking back, she saw that a metallic spear had pierced said leg, blood pouring out of the wound onto the ground like water from a melting ice pick. She quickly pulled the foreign object out and tossed it aside as she tried standing on her feet. But the pain was too much, there was no way she could run away now. Out of nowhere, Demon Subaru appeared right in front of her and the red mist surrounded them both.

"There's no use in crying for help. Nobody can hear you inside my fog," he said in his usual sadistic manner.

Oh how she wanted to punch that smug face once more. But old age along with the fresh wound were taking their toll on her. Yet she would not give up, not when there was still a chance. Reaching into her kimono, Sora pulled out her deck which started to glow. Her devilish foe grinned in anticipation as he took out his own deck and backed away a bit for two dueling tables to rise between them. They both shuffled their cards, set their shields, drew their hands, and thus their match began.

"I summon Jack, Bei B tapped into the battle zone." A green frog baby resting in a straw basket with a blue pacifier in its mouth appeared by Sora's side.

"A 1 mana creature that has 6000 power and double breaker? Keh, I didn't know you went this far with the offense," Demon Subaru remarked and then he gazed better at the card. "Ah, it doesn't untap at the start of your turn unless you tap three mana. How unfortunate," he mocked while sticking his tongue between sharp fangs. "Anyway, I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." The cowboy humanoid appeared by his side, taking a battle stance. "Your turn."

"I summon Jasmine, Mist Faerie and destroy her." The green haired Snow Faerie wearing a modest brown dress appeared and immediately exploded, causing the top card of her owner's deck to go into the mana zone. "Then I cast Treasure Map," Sora said and checked the top five cards of her deck. "I take Jaberu, Snow Faerie to my hand and put the rest to the bottom of my deck. Turn end."

"BloodRayne reduces his cost, so I summon Vader, Dark Armor." A grey armored knight with a skull helmet and a large shield appeared next to the cowboy. "I end my turn and with Vader's effect I put the top card of my deck into the graveyard. If it's a creature, I draw a card." Demon Subaru smiled as School Man went into his graveyard, thus allowing him to draw.

"I summon Jaberu, Snow Faerie." A white gorilla donning a black suit and wielding a golden shovel appeared next to the frog baby. "Mana Arms 3, I check the top four cards of my deck and take Ochappi, Pure Hearted Faerie to my hand, the others go back to the bottom of my deck."

"Keh, quite the draw materials you got there. Or are you trying to progress into something?" her fiendish opponent asked, earning nothing but a silent glare of contempt. "Fine, be that way. I summon Ninjariban, Dragon Edge!" A blue ninja plush appeared in the battle zone. "With his effect, I bring out Bluenika, Dragon Soul Fortress."

"What the…" Sora gasped and her eyes widened. "But that's impossible!"

Much to her disbelief, the winged blue fortress with a dragon's head descended from a hole in the sky.

"That is Edo's dragheart, how did you get your hands on it?" she asked.

"The fool wasn't quite up to my level. He put up a decent fight, but that's not enough to defeat the likes of me," he gloated arrogantly.

"So does that mean that Edo…" the old woman could not bring herself to say it.

Demon Subaru chuckled. "Let's just say that a surfboard sunk down his throat."

Sora could do nothing but to stare at him in silence. Edo Kanda was dead. That single thought repeated itself over and over in her mind, and it only filled her heart with more pain than everything she had experienced that evening. The previous day she had talked to him on the phone and had his cheery disposition and witty jokes brighten her mood. And now that would never happen again, all of which represented the happy-go-lucky man had vanished in a whim. All because of that monster she was facing.

"Did that also sink in?" Demon Subaru mocked, snapping her back to reality. "Good. In that case, I draw a card thanks to Bluenika's effect. Then I end my turn and use Vader's effect once more." Savage, Forbidden U fell into his graveyard, allowing him to draw once again.

"You fucking animal! I'll make you pay for what you've done!" Sora spat out her anger, much to the pleasure of her opponent. "I summon Ochappi, Pure Hearted Faerie and with her effect I put Treasure Map from the graveyard to my mana zone. Then I tap the rest of my mana and with Jack's effect I also tap Ochappi and Jaberu as mana to summon Marinyan, Dragon Edge!" A pink haired teenage girl wearing cat idol clothes appeared. "With Marinyan's effect, I bring out Euru=Bucca, Mystery Gathering Ruins." She was followed by a green ruined building with a dinosaur's head.

"You're using that Jack creature to turn your battlefield into a second mana zone?" the black haired duelist remarked. "Quite creative, I dare say!" He licked his fangs. "Such skills can become very useful in the right hands. I summon Hell Mission, Dark Armor and Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation." A purple knight wielding a sword and a shield came into the battle zone along with a fat ghost with two pairs of arms and a giant mouth on its belly. "Ninjariban, attack Jaberu!" he ordered and the ninja plush lashed at the gorilla, ending it with a swift kick in the face. "BloodRayne, attack Ochappi!" another order came and the cowboy attacked the orange haired Snow Faerie which was wielding a white staff, both of them disappearing in an explosion. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor fell into Demon Subaru's grave, allowing him to draw a card.

"I have two Nature creatures in the battle zone, so Dragsolution – Euru=Bucca flips into Rejiru=Euru=Bucca, Mystery Ruinskind!" Sora announced and the building grew limbs and got up, its dinosaur head giving a battle roar. "With Rejiru=Euru=Bucca's effect, all of my creatures cost 2 mana less. I summon Sasoris Rage, Terror Dragon Edge!" A green squirrel with long hair, donning a white mask and a tribal suit appeared in the battle zone while wielding a giant green hammer with a dragon face painted on it. "Sasoris Rage puts the top card of my deck into the mana zone and brings out Judaiou, Jurassic Jungle!" A hole appeared in the sky and out of it descended a floating island upon which lay a jungle and a gorgon dinosaur's head. "With Judaiou's effect, your creatures that have power 4000 or less can't attack. Now Marinyan, attack Ninjariban!"

"Vader, block the attack!" Demon Subaru intervened and the knight jumped in front of the idol girl's attack, receiving a full punch which cracked his shield and destroyed him. "My turn, I summon Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter." The long haired purple wolf plush appeared in the battle zone, punched the air and howled, causing the top three cards of his owner to go into the graveyard, those being Haridelberg, Hell of D, Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie and Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge, the latter of which went back into his hand.

"I summon Sasoris, Dragon Edge and equip her with Boaroaxe, Evil Tomahawk!" Another green squirrel appeared in the battle zone, this one donning just a white mask and a tribal undergarment, and instead of a hammer she wielded a silver axe. "With Boaroaxe's effect I bring out Jaberu, Snow Faerie from my mana zone into the battle zone. Jaberu's effect, I check the top four cards of my deck… and add Gyou, Growthkind to my hand. Then I summon Gyou and with his effect I send one of my shields to the mana zone." Sora smiled as she saw that Silver Scoop had landed in her mana zone. "I end my turn and since the total cost of my creatures in the battle zone is more than 20… 2D Dragsolution, Boaroaxe flips into Boaropagos, Evil Emperor Ruins!" The green squirrel tossed the silver axe into the skies and it transformed into a green ruin with three dinosaur heads.

"You've done quite a few Dragsolutions. How about I start doing the same? I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge which brings out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace!" The winged and horned purple wolf appeared by Demon Subaru's side and caused Jenny, the Dismantling Doll and Black Psycho, Revenge to fall into the graveyard, after which the winged demonic palace descended from a hole in the sky. "With Welcome Hell's effect I revive Black Psycho, Revenge on Time Tripper." The fat Ghost got surrounded by a purple aura and evolved into a demon wearing jester clothes and wielding a shield and a sword. "Black Psycho, attack Jack!" Demon Subaru ordered and the Demon Command ran towards the frog baby and cut it in half with his sword. "Dragsolution – I destroy Black Psycho, Ninjariban, Bochiborof and Hell Mission to flip Welcome Hell into Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King!" Two blasts came from the winged palace which obliterated the demon, the ninja plush, the long haired wolf plush and the purple knight, after which the building cracked open and a horned and winged demonic serpent emerged wielding a bone scythe. "With Deathgoros Dragsolutioned, I destroy Sasoris and Sasoris Rage!" Demon Subaru said and the creature cut both squirrels with its scythe.

"When Sasoris is destroyed, she goes to my mana zone!" the old woman quickly intervened.

"And since Hell Mission left the battle zone, I also destroy Rejiru=Euru=Bucca," the devilish teen continued and a purple sword appeared out of nowhere and cut the dinosaur ruins into half. "I end here."

"I summon another Sasoris Rage, Terror Dragon Edge and equip her with Judaina, Jurassic Hammer!" Sora said and the long haired squirrel returned by her side. "Then since I summoned a creature from my hand, Boaropagos brings out Parasraft, Revinvakind from my mana zone!" A green dinosaur with sharp red claws also appeared into the battle zone. "When Parasraft enters the battle zone, I put all Nature creatures from my graveyard to my mana zone," she announced and then her opponent watched how she put Jack, Bei B, Jasmine, Mist Faerie, Ochappi, Pure Hearted Faerie and Jaberu, Snow Faerie into her mana zone. "I end my turn, and since I have 3 Dragons in the battle zone – Gyou, Parasraft and Sasoris Rage, I Dragsolution Judaina into Saurupio, Ancient King!" The squirrel tossed the hammer up in the sky and it transformed into a tall green dinosaur with red snakes in its head, a scorpion tail and a giant hammer in its claws.

Despite that show of brute force, her opponent was far from impressed.

"I summon Vader, Dark Armor and Hell Mission, Dark Armor." The two knights appeared by Demon Subaru's side in the battle zone. "Deathgoros, attack!" he ordered and then Demon Wolf, Howling Moonlight Castle fell from his deck into the graveyard, after which he revived Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor who was quick to cut Sasoris Rage in half with his scythe's deadly blade. "Deathgoros, triple break her shields!" The winged serpent demon with a palace body did not waste any more time and cut three shields with his scythe. "Hellborof, attack and S-Rank Invasion "Zombie", I evolve him into Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie from the graveyard!" The wolf plush flew towards Sora's remaining shield and on the way he transformed into a dark purple motorcycle robot with wheels for claws. "Deadzone gives -9000 power to Parasraft and destroys him, now break her final shield!"

Sora took cover as the last attack rendered her defenseless. But she smiled upon seeing what she got in her hand and was quick to retort, "Shield trigger activate, I summon Sasoris Jr., Savage Guardian!" A green baby squirrel riding atop a golden bird-shaped plane appeared in the battle zone. "I activate the effect of Boaropagos and also bring out a second Marinyan, Dragon Edge from my mana zone. Marinyan also brings out Euru=Bucca, Mystery Gathering Ruins."

"Ho, you are spamming even during my turn. Yes, those skills could definitely be of good use. I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Duenyan Emperor fell into his graveyard, allowing him to draw a card, then Demon Subaru crossed his arms in expectance. "Your move. Show me the best you've got."

"Double Dragsolution!" Sora exclaimed. "Since I have 2 or more Nature creatures in the battle zone, Euru=Bucca flips into Rejiru=Euru=Bucca, Mystery Ruinskind! And since the total cost of my creatures in the battle zone is 25 or more, Judaiou flips into Sauzaurupio, Terror Ancient King!" The floating jungle island transformed into another green dinosaur with red snakes in its head and a giant hammer in its claws, but this one wore the jungle as an armor. "Now with Saurupio's effect, while I have no shields you can't attack me. And with Sauzaurupio's effect, while I have no shields, your creatures with less power than him can't attack at all!"

"Keh, Sauzaurupio has 18000 power, meaning that none of my creatures can attack."

"Exactly! I cast Euru=Bucca, Antique Dragon Ruins and send Vader to your mana zone. Mana Arms 5, I also send Death Hands to your mana zone. Then Revolution 2, since I have 2 shields or less, I evolve Sasoris Jr. and Jaberu into a Gyogyou, Revolutionkind each for one mana!" The baby squirrel and gorilla got surrounded by green auras and turned into two green pterodactyls which held an egg each in their claws. "Now Sauzaurupio, destroy Deathgoros!" Sora ordered and the giant dinosaur rushed at the serpent demon and crushed him with just one swing from his giant hammer.

"Dragon Evade – Deathgoros flips back to Welcome Hell!" the demonic teen intervened and the winged palace reverted to its initial form.

"I end here. Let's see how you can bypass this lockdown, you worthless scum."

Demon Subaru drew his next card and was quick to pass his turn. Sora smiled, she finally got him where she wanted him.

"Sauzaurupio, quattro break his shields!" she ordered and the dinosaur rushed at her opponent, hammer ready.

"Hell Mission's Shield Saver effect, I sacrifice him to save one of my shields. Then since Hell Mission left the battle zone, I destroy your Saurupio!" Demon Subaru said and after the knight's sword cut one of the gorgon dinosaurs into pieces he took cover as three of his shields were smashed away. "Shield trigger activate, I summon Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and destroy Sauzaurupio!" The horned and caped knight appeared and used its scythe to cut the other gorgon dinosaur, finally freeing its owner from the dreaded lockdown. "Also, shield trigger, Inferno Sign! I revive Hell Mission, Dark Armor." Much to Sora's dread, the purple knight reappeared.

"I activate the effect of my Gyogyou! Since you put a creature in the battle zone, I will also put a non-evolution Nature creature that costs more than it from my mana zone into the battle zone. I put Silver Scoop into the battle zone and send him to my mana zone."

"Keh, I send Death Hands to my mana zone."

"Then I activate the effect of my other Gyogyou and bring Silver Scoop back once more, then I send him to my mana zone."

"I send Deadzone to mine."

"Then for the creature you revived, with the effects of both of my Gyogyous, I bring out Jack, Bei B and Jasmine, Mist Faerie from my mana zone. Now go, Gyogyou, break his final shields!"

"I use Hell Mission's Shield Saver to save one of my shields and also destroy your other Gyogyou."

"Gyou, break his final shield!" The small dinosaur heeded its master's ordered and clawed the remaining shield.

"Shield trigger, I cast Demon Wolf, Howling Moonlight Castle which gives -3000 to Jasmine. Mana Arms 5, I also destroy Marinyan!" Pairs of demonic blue wolves circled around the green haired Snow Faerie and the pink haired idol girl, eventually lashing out and devouring both.

"You wanted to see my best, motherfucker? Be careful what you wish for – Marinyan, todomeda!" Sora ordered and the second idol girl shouted a 'Nya!' and ran towards the opponent.

But lo, her hopes and dreams were soon shattered by that surprising smile.

"Ninja Strike 4, I summon Falconer, Lightfang Ninja," Demon Subaru gracefully spoke and the plane-shaped creature appeared Marinyan's way, blocking the attack at the cost of its life. "Yes, you did show me your best, and I'm very pleased. Unfortunately for you, I can't fall here tonight."

His red irises shone brightly as he stared upon the top card of his deck. Then he drew it and his smile twisted into a malicious grin.

"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." The cowboy creature reappeared. "And then… I evolve him into Killer the Kill, Revolution Demon King!"

Sora's jaw dropped as the cowboy was wrapped by a black aura and transformed into a dark blue Demon Command Dragon with a black wing and a white wing and a giant eye with a shining red iris in the middle of its sharp toothed mouth.

"With Killer the Kill's effect, I destroy all non-Darkness creatures!" Demon Subaru announced and the creature roared loudly and unleashed a wave of blackness which engulfed all of the opposing creatures, devouring them. "Then Revolution 2, since I have 2 shields or less, I revive all of my non-evolution Darkness creatures!" he said as one by one, BloodRayne, School Man, Time Tripper, Hell Mission, Savage, Jenny, Vader, Ninjariban and Bochiborof all reappeared into the battle zone. "With School Man's effect I destroy BloodRayne and Time Tripper. With Savage's effect I put the top card of my deck into the graveyard and return Falconer to my hand. With Jenny's effect I look into your hand… and discard your own Falconer. And with Ninjariban's effect I bring out Demon Wolf, Soul Eating Moonlight Castle."

"Gyogyou's effect still kicks in!" Sora hopelessly said. "I bring out Silver Scoop from my mana zone and send it back!"

"Keh, I send Jenny to my mana zone. Famous last words?"

Sora had none. She was tired. Tired of everything. After an entire life of endless struggle, it all culminated with an evening of horror and a duel in which all stakes were risked and her victory had slipped away in the very last moment. Mother Nature truly was a bitch.

"Killer the Kill, todomeda!" Demon Subaru ordered and a laser beam was fired from the creature's giant eye, blasting the old woman away.

Meaning long gone, hope utterly shattered, fear fully taking over and tears falling uncontrollably, there was nothing left for Sora but to cry out her madness on the cold concrete. Demon Subaru walked to her dueling table and snatched Greene, Dragon Soul Ruins from her deck. Out of the bloom, the old woman felt two claws pierce her skull and pull out her eyes. It all happened so fast that it took her a while to realize that she could no longer see. She fell on her back, completely shocked, struggling through the sobs to make a futile scream for help. None came. The next thing she felt were the fiend's claws sinking deep into her shoulders and slowly tearing her body apart piece by piece like a broken toy that was to be tossed in the garbage. And with each piece which was taken away from her, she felt less and less pain. So empty. So free…

When the red fog was lifted, all that was left of Sora Rukkora were bloodied bits of flesh scattered around Demon Subaru. Bochiborof walked up to him with the bag in which they put Edo's body.

"That was so brutal, sire, I loved every moment of it!" the plush toy confessed his excitement.

"Another one down," Demon Subaru passively stated. "Let's head b- "

All of a sudden, the hooded one fell on his knees and started to vomit profusely. Panicking, the purple wolf ran to his master's aid.

"Milord, are you alright?!"

After one more contraction and a final bit of bloody vomit spurting out of his mouth like a geyser, he caught his breath and turned his angered eyes to the worried servant, managing to utter, "Put her in the bag and go back. I'll catch up to you soon."

"Are you sure?" Bochiborof asked and then he felt pierced like never before by that cold stare. "As you wish…"

After the Funky Knightmare did as told and left, Demon Subaru punched the ground. What once used to be the simple action of creating expanded illusions to screw around with the minds of his victims had turned into a great effort on his part. That new body may have been his, but it turned out to be way too weak for his grandiose plans. His only hope for that unfortunate side effect to go away was for a miracle to happen once he got closer to completing All Over The World. But hoping for miracles was something only the weak did, and he would never allow himself to be in such a position.


	12. The game begins

Students crowded to exit the University's site as soon as their courses ended by the sunset. Never before were they in such a hurry to reach the bus and head home to safety. They were driven not by a desire to enjoy their free time as much as possible, but fear. Yes, that was what collective fear looked like, at least one of its aspects. It manifested in young adults crowding busses to get back to the dorm or their own homes because a killer was on the loose. And it was not just in them, but also in the older adults who rushed to their homes once they got off work and dared not venture during the night. Hajime understood this as he and Jack made their way out of the crowd. The blond could not help but wonder how long it would take until said fear spread to other collectives. Would a citywide curfew ensue next? When man was pushed so far to his limits, he could not help but marvel at the power of fear.

"So, partner, what's our next move?" Jack wondered, speaking at a lower volume so that only his friend could hear him.

"I'd say we try to investigate the areas around the campus tomorrow, maybe we'll find more clues," Hajime suggested.

"Isn't that a little too risky, though? We know the killer's watching us, why don't we just go to the cops with what we've got so far?"

"Please, during a mere lunch break we've found more evidence than our entire police force who have been searching over the last few days."

"Yes, but the police are qualified, while we're not," the cowboy reasoned.

"Oh yes, I can see that in their results so far," the blond snickered, a disgusted expression on his face. "Wasted degrees that lead to ruined lives. This city is going downhill, I'm telling you."

"Look, you d-"

Before Jack could have the opportunity to protest Hajime's pessimism, they were both startled by two palms slapping their shoulders hard. The two turned around at the same time and were quickly relieved to see a redhead donning brown high heel boots, blue jeans, a yellow T-shirt and a long silver jacket. Her short hair matched the color of her eyes, fiery and filled with passion.

"Lori, don't scare us like that," Jack sighed, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

"What's up? I've seen you hanging with blondie more ever since his friend Ken died," Lori remarked snidely. "What's the matter, Jack? You turning gay for Hajime?"

"Haha, don't worry, I ain't going the other way any time soon," the cowboy assured her and leaned to kiss her lips.

"She's the girlfriend you kept bragging about?" the blond asked, making no effort to hide how unimpressed he was.

Jack broke the kiss and answered, "Oh hell yes, she may be from Canada, but she's as hot as any cowgirl you'd see in the Wild West, partner!"

"Charming…" Hajime narrowed his eyes at the sight of the couple. "Anyway, Lori, we've found some clues regarding Ken's murder and your boyfriend here suggested we go to the police with them right away since the killer might be watching us."

"Oh, that's so spooky, reminds me of a bad horror movie." The girl mockingly stuck out her tongue. "What makes you geniuses think that the killer won't just stop you from getting to the cops in the first place?"

"Speed," the blond replied on a similar tone. "In that case we should get going… unless you want to stay here and try your chances as the final girl."

Lori chuckled. "Lead the way, rich boy."

Hajime sighed and went ahead, the couple following suit. If Jack's girlfriend wanted to tag along, her attitude would most likely have stood in the way more than actually helped. Besides, why did he even need sidekicks to begin with? This was not some dumb hero's journey from a detective novel or noir movie, this was his path to vengeance, and hopefully said vengeance would have allowed him to move on with his life. Yes, it was his personal journey, so why in the hell did he have those two come along?

On their way they passed by the small park near the bus stop. Hajime took a quick glance at it. Still devoid of people, covered all the more by rust and the leaves of balding trees, autumn's grip was taking its toll on the once joyous playground. Just like how the fear of the killer was taking its toll on the city's spirit. His thoughts were soon disturbed by the rather annoying voice of Lori.

"Hey Hajime, me and Jack are stopping by to duel and blow off some steam."

The blond groaned impatiently. "Didn't you guys want to get to the police?"

"Don't get your jimmies rustled so easy, we'll be fast, I promise." She winked at him as the two entered the park and went straight to the dueling tables.

How he wanted to just drop them and take matters into his own hands. But then he remembered the promise he had made to Jack. They were partners now, which meant that they had to work together. Resigned, he leaned forward against the metallic wall, thankful that his sweater protected him from the steel's cold. At a decent distance away from him, the couple had set their cards on the tables and begun their matches.

"I summon Hop Churis." Lori placed the card in her battle zone.

"I cast Jojojo Jokers." Jack checked the top five cards of his deck and took Pali Nights to his hand, put the rest on the bottom of his deck.

"I summon ChuChuris, First Squad. With his effect, my Beat Jockeys cost 1 mana less. Turn end."

"Huh? Why aren't you attacking with Hop Churis?"

"Dumbass, Hop Churis can't attack while other creatures of mine haven't."

"Right… in that case, I summon Yattareman."

"You also want to reduce the cost of your creatures, ey? Very well, I summon Bakugetto, Totsugeki Tank." The redhead tossed her remaining card in the graveyard and drew two more. "ChuChuris, break his shield! Now Hop Churis can attack, break his shield!"

Jack took the two cards in his, and then he quickly revealed the second one.

"Shield trigger, I summon Bainaradoor, send Bakugetto to the bottom of your deck!" he sighed with relief. "My turn, I summon Pali Nights and put Jojojo Jokers from the graveyard to my mana zone. Then I summon Senno, Brainwash. Bainaradoor, attack Hop Churis! Yattareman, attack ChuChuris!"

All four creature cards then ended in the graveyards of their owners, thus lending the field advantage to the cowboy once again. But the redhead was far from over. In fact, the smile on her face hinted that the best was yet to come.

"I summon Dachicco Churis. With his effect, my Beat Jockeys cost 3 mana less until the end of the turn." And then she gracefully took a card from her hand and slapped it onto the table, raising the tone of her voice. "Bad Action Dynamite 2, I summon Bad Brand Limited!"

"But that thing costs 7 mana and you only have 2 unused mana left!" Jack protested.

"Do the math. Dachicco Churis reduced Bad Brand Limited's cost by 3. Then with Bad Action Dynamite, he costs 2 less. 7-5=2, the exact amount I need to summon him," Lori proudly explained. "Now with his effect, I destroy Senno. More so, he's a speed attacker. Now go, Bad Brand Limited, double break his shields!"

The cowboy gulped nervously as he picked up two more cards from his shield zone.

"I end my turn and destroy him due to Bad Action Dynamite," the redhead concluded.

"I summon two Chocolate House." Jack quickly did his move, though in his mind he desperately hoped that she would not defeat him on her next turn.

"I summon Nagnag Churis and with his effect I battle Pali Nights, destroying him. Dachicco Churis, break his final shield!"

The boy took a breath of relief. Looking at a card in his hand, he knew it was now or never.

"I summon Danganoh, Super Special Q! When I put him into the battle zone, he can attack you directly. More so, he breaks an extra shield for each other Jokers I have in the battle zone. So, Danganoh, quattro break her shields!" he ordered, though the opponent seemed rather unfazed by the prospect of losing four shields that easily. "Chocolate House, attack and with his effect I put Tutankhanen from my hand to my mana zone, break her final shield!"

Lori picked up the remaining card in her shield zone and smiled. "Shield trigger, I summon Merry "Ken" Brand, which battles the other Chocolate House. Then since I put him in the battle zone during your turn, he goes to the bottom of my deck. Are you quite done?"

Jack sighed, he was so close. "Yeah, your move."

"Good. Bad Action Dynamite 2, I summon Bad Brand Limited again and destroy the other Chocolate House. Go, Bad Brand Limited, todomeda!"

Hajime could not help but be impressed by the girl's speed. Although he had not encountered such an efficient rush deck before, somehow their match served to remind him of the duels he had shared with Ken. Just a few days ago, he and his best friend were where the couple now stood, indulging in the same pleasures that card game offered.

"I told you I'd be fast," Lori gloated to the blond as she packed her cards.

"Yeah, her deck packs a swifter punch than my own," Jack said, laughing at the outcome of their match.

"Of course, that's only natural for us women!"

"If you two are quite done, I'd rather be at the police station before the night settles in," Hajime replied, getting all the more impatient.

And so they were on their way, the place they sought being at only a few blocks past the Shirayama mansion. But it was as the building appeared in their sight that a peculiar thing happened. Hajime's phone rang, and when he checked he saw it was a private number.

"Is something wrong, partner?" Jack asked as he noticed the concerned look on his friend's face.

Ignoring him, the blond answered the call.

"Hi," a deep and suave male voice that somehow could still send chills down one's spine answered on the other line.

"Who is this?" Hajime asked.

"Did you like the message I've left in your locker?"

His face suddenly turned pale as he froze in his tracks, much to the surprise of his friends, who looked back at him questioningly.

"It's the killer…" he managed to mutter.

"You've got that right," his caller confirmed and chuckled maliciously.

"What do you want?"

"You're a fascinating creature, Hajime Shirayama. So I wish to play a game with you. The game is called: 'find me before this entire city goes to hell', think you're up for it?"

"Listen, asshole, this is not a fucking game!" Hajime snapped. "I'll put an end to this right now!"

"I'm sure your grandma Tsugumi thinks the same way," the voice replied sarcastically.

"What do you mean…?"

"Dante Street, number 78, postal code 551112, the mansion surrounded with an electrified fence that has video cameras armed with lasers in each corner. Oh right, and you have magenta curtains."

With each detail of their address that was being spoken, Hajime felt the emptiness inside caused by fear grow larger and larger. He was getting numb, as if his entire world was spinning uncontrollably.

"I can sneak past your security system any time I wish."

"You're bluffing! You just want to scare me so that I don't get the police involved!" Hajime tried to keep his calm, but was obviously failing.

"Want to bet your grandma's life on it?" the voice snidely asked.

The only answer given was silence, a silence of defeat which left the couple next to him baffled.

"Good boy. Don't even consider contacting the cops in any way if you know what's best for your family and friends. The same goes for them," the caller instructed him in a calm yet eerily threatening manner. "I know where all of you are at any time. I will prey on your weaknesses when you least expect it, I will-"

"Go fuck yourself!" the blond yelled and hanged up on him.

"What did he say?" Jack asked as they both walked up to the distraught youth.

"The killer is on our trail," Hajime blankly spoke.

"Are you serious?" the cowboy replied with disbelief.

"He knows my address and how my house looks like. He knows my grandma and he even threatened her life if we dare go to the police."

"And you're going to let him scare you?" the redhead asked.

"What would you do in my place, Lori? Would you go to the police, knowing that your loved ones are in danger by doing so?"

"But if you give in to his demands, you'll just be playing his game!" she protested.

"That's all this is to him, guys. One huge game… I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"If that creep even dares to come close to us, I'll beat him up with my own fists!" Lori said, her own anger building up.

"Or you'll end up like his victims," Jack reminded her.

Hajime sighed. "Let's all just go home and stay safe for now. It's getting dark."

Turning back from their tracks, they split at his family mansion, the couple heading for the bus station. Once he got inside, the blond found Tsugumi in her bathrobe, preparing dinner.

"Hajime, darling, I've been waiting for you. How was school today?"

No answer came. He just stood there and stared at her, relieved that she was safe and unaware of how dangerously close the killer had gotten to them.

"Hajime, what happened? You seem a bit scared," the old woman remarked.

Without any other words and much to her confusion, he hugged her and held on tight, as if she would slip from his arms in any moment. As much as he hated it, he was right – fear was indeed a powerful weapon.


	13. Sides of the same Mirror

In a dark and foul smelling alley which only grew dimmer, a hooded figure put down a cell phone and took a deep breath, laying back and relaxing between two trash bins. He had done no great effort; it was but a phone call. Yet the mere act of blackmailing had winded him. Why was that body so frail? It was a painful question which he found himself forced to revisit again and again. How ironic that a being with such great aspirations as his was so limited by mere mortal flesh. Maybe it was a punishment for all of his past actions, which by the majority's morals would have been considered transgressions of the highest degree. He chuckled. That morality was but for the weak, who when they were faced with the greatest power of all – that to govern over life and death – were quick to condemn it on the basis of so-called empathy and free will. Power was always for the few, which was why the majority always claimed to loathe it, but secretly craved it, for when one of them were to end up with the same power, how quick they were to change sides. Truly, mortals were a disgusting hypocritical bunch, and he could not wait to see the day when their species would have finally fallen under his claws. But having in mind the current events, a new fear was overcoming him. What if his pitifully weak body would eventually succumb to all of his power and be gone? Then he would fall back into the Abyss, without fully enacting his vengeance. He clenched his fist. That could not happen! He would not return there, not until he paid back the one who last threw him there.

"Master, who are we going to target next?" Bochiborof asked as he looked at the bag with the two maimed corpses.

Demon Subaru remained silent. He had intended to keep the upcoming victim for last, but with time not being on his side, he decided that he was going to act then and there. Pulling the cards of Bluenika and Greene out of his pocket, he stared at them and once more attempted reaching out to All Over The World. Like before, no answer came, he felt absolutely nothing. That creature's unresponsiveness was slowly beginning to irritate him. Left with no option, he clutched on the cards and once more his fingers glowed purple as he drew power from them. Again the miracle happened, the entire weakness went away as he felt at ease inside his body. Mustering his renewed vigor, he got back on his feet and turned to the purple wolf.

"Take a new bag and follow me," he instructed and took steps to leave the alley.

"What about the other one?" Bochiborof wondered.

"Hide it between the trash bins."

And with that said, he was off.

Steam came from the bathtub filled with hot water and blurred the bathroom mirror. The mysterious melodies of a symphonic black metal song echoed from a laptop in the bedroom into the living room with bookshelves. The entire apartment was filled with the same bohemian atmosphere it had had over the past fifty years. If anything, it was less of a home and more of an escape from the outside world which was always busy and chaotic. Yes, behind those walls there was nothing but the little world of its owners, a safe haven in which they would pour their very being and truly feel like themselves. And in there, time passed so slowly, it felt almost like an eternity of self-indulging. Yet somehow, the fear that death would one day come and put an end to the beautiful dream they were living still loomed over one of them…

Subaru stood in the kitchen, laid back against a counter, dressed in a black bathrobe with matching plush slippers, and sipping a cup of hot chocolate while talking on the phone.

"So you're busy and can't come home tonight? Don't worry, it's no biggie, I can entertain myself until bedtime," he assured the one on the other line. "Heh, I'll wait for you to finish your race."

As he hung up, the lights in the apartment began to flicker. The old man gave a tired sigh, the fuses were acting up again. Breaking out of the comfortable trance that laziness was pulling him into, he walked to the front door to check on the fuse box above, dragging a chair along. The sooner he fixed the issue, the better, then he would be pleasured by a long and warm bath, followed by a good night's sleep. Climbing on the chair, he reached for the box hung on the wall, only to be startled by the noise of a vase breaking. He looked around and saw nothing. Maybe it fell somewhere where he forgot a window open and the wind blew it off. After giving a shrug, he opened the fuse box and began checking on them, when all of a sudden there were loud knocks at the kitchen's window. _Just great…_ He tried ignoring it and checked the fuses, but the knocks got increasingly louder, breaking any semblance of concentration that he had. Whatever bird was doing it would be in a lot of trouble. The old man got off of the chair and went back in the kitchen to shoo the critter. Upon setting foot in, he froze and stared utterly dumbfounded.

There he was, knocking on the window, the monster who had terrorized him and his loved ones fifty years ago. That face which haunted him in the rarest of nightmares, that cold glare from those shining red irises which he buried long ago with those awful memories, his demonic reflection had returned. But this time around he, Subaru, was old, while the other was still young. The human rubbed his eyes and gave himself a light slap on the cheek. No, he wasn't dreaming.

"Missed me?" Demon Subaru asked with a gleeful grin which exposed his razor sharp fangs that were yellowed by flesh and blood consumption.

"H-how?" Subaru could barely mutter back.

"I think you should rather wonder if I was ever gone. But the answer is yes, I am back."

"Help! Help!" the old man shouted in the hope that his neighbors would hear.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The fiend put a hand over his mouth and feigned concern. "Nobody's alive right now to take your call."

Subaru rushed to the counter and picked up his cell phone, only to find the battery dead.

"What the… It was 65% last I checked!"

"Was," the one at the window added and giggled maliciously.

"Alright, what do you want from me?" the old man demanded and turned to face his unwelcome visitor.

"Hmm, let's see…" Demon Subaru checked his claws and spoke in a rather bored manner. "You helped foil my ultimate plan, defeated me and took back your body, banished me to the Abyss. Gee, I wonder what could it be that I want?"

"Bloody vengeance, is that what you want?" Subaru asked, unaware that his entire body was beginning to shake.

"Maybe." The devilish teen blew on his claws.

"Isn't what you did back then enough?! Why are you even doing this? Are you really that rotten on the inside, Shishima?"

"I don't know, Subaru. You've shared your body with me since you were born, you should know better by now."

"I didn't fucking ask to share anything with you! You're the one who decided to infest me like a cancer and do all those horrible things!"

"A cancer? This is how you think of me?" Demon Subaru put a hand over his heart, acting offended. "After helping you get your payback on all those who hurt you, what an awful thing to say!" Then his tone got colder and the playful mask fell off. "For the record, I hate you just as much."

And then the lights stopped altogether, turning the apartment into a dim cave that was only illuminated by the few streetlights from outside, and darkening the visitor's face, letting his red irises glow in the night.

"I wasn't the one who couldn't control his emotions back then. If you were more stable on the inside, I would have remained dormant. But instead you let your anger and sorrow consume you, faking stability on the outside and letting me influence you on the inside. Tell me, Subaru, if you were truly such a good person, would you really have listened to me whenever I whispered in your mind those thoughts of murder?"

"No!" the old man shouted and shook his head. "You're just screwing with me, back then I was getting over the worst breakup of my life and-"

"Was your breakup with Tsugumi an excuse for you to want to see her suffer and die, alongside all those who plotted it? You asked me if I'm that rotten, but really you should be asking yourself if you're that petty, Subaru Geki!"

Shaking his head, almost as if he were in denial, the white haired one hastily went to the apartment door and unlocked it, running off into the flat's corridors as the sounds of the kitchen window breaking echoed from behind.

Much to Subaru's surprise, the entire building was as dark as his apartment. However, there were many reflector lights moving around as if searching for something. A few were frozen in one place, blocking the path to the elevator. For a moment he wondered what would have happened if he dared touch one, but then a familiar hiss echoed from behind, causing him to hide behind a corner.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Demon Subaru called out as he walked by.

Subaru peeked and saw the hooded figure walk by the reflector lights effortlessly. He paused by the stairs, puts his hands on his hips and shook his head, disappointed.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, so you want to make things hard for yourself. Very well, let's play then."

And then he climbed the stairs to inspect the upper floors. The white haired man gave a sigh of relief and walked out of his hideout. From the looks of it, touching the lights was definitely not good news for him. Whether they were fatal or it was merely a way to alert the Demon of his presence, he did not know, nor did he want to stay around and find out. Breaking through the window and jumping out seemed as an option, but that would have definitely caught the monster's attention. More so, they were at the second floor, and with how fragile his old body had become, the chances of actually getting away seemed even slimmer. His only other option were the stairs.

Bracing himself, Subaru went ahead. First he waited for a light to go up so he could pass, then he quickly ducked and went forward as a second one descended. A third one flickered on and off. Not trusting his speed at that age, he crawled on the floor, going beneath it. To his chagrin, a fourth one lighted the floor and came at a fast speed, forcing him to jump back on his feet and dodge it with painfully acrobatic precision. Thankfully, that was all he needed to reach the stairs, and he rushed down them, avoiding another light that came from the elevator's direction. Another unpleasant surprise greeted him – there was a hole in the middle of the stairs, around ten steps were missing. This game was becoming all the more vexing for him. Taking his chances, he jumped and was lucky to make an exact landing, although for a short moment he was close to losing his balance and falling off the stairs. A light was coming upwards in his direction, making him duck out of its way. More lights were searching the stairs as well, thus as he climbed down he kept making last second leaps to avoid them.

Once he landed on the first floor, he had the displeasure of seeing the flat's exit blocked by the same lights, meaning that there was no way out. If he tried to get past them, who knew what would have happened? If he waited for someone to come and help him, he would become a sitting duck for the Demon to hunt down. Was this really how he would have ended his long life? Bested by his inner monster? It seemed that the fear of death which had been haunting him over the past few years was right all along. No, he couldn't give up yet, there had to be something he could do! And then it hit him – the main fuse box in the basement, he could control the entire building's electricity from there, maybe that was the key to his escape. Jumping to the right, he avoided another light and ran into the elevator, quickly pressing a button which closed its doors and took him down. Its sounds ticked off at the upper levels as well, causing Demon Subaru to turn to it and see it reach the basement. Grinning, he sent all of his search lights there and calmly walked down the stairs to the first floor, waiting for his prey.

Unbeknownst to him, Subaru was hoping for that. Once the elevator arrived in the basement, Subaru rushed all the way to the other side, stopping with his body pressed against the cold wall. Moving his hands on it, he soon felt the fuse box. The old man hid beneath it and waited for the lights to arrive. It did not take them long. Two blocked the stairs, two more blocked the elevator's entrance and around a dozen surveilled the area. Taking advantage of their illumination, Subaru got up from his hideout, quickly opened the box and checked the fuses. Apparently they were all shut, but the very last one on the right was weird, for its switch was stuck in the middle. Was his pursuer using it to fuel those lights? With a gulp, he switched the last one off, shutting off the electricity of the entire flat. As soon as he did that, all of the reflector lights vanished. So his theory was correct. With the coast finally clear, he ran up the stairs and reached the first floor. There it was, the building's exit waiting for him with no other obstructions. Knowing that there was not much time left until he would be found, he rushed straight to it. As soon as he would be out, he would scream for help as loudly as possible, hoping that maybe then the pursuer would have given up on him.

Another surprise awaited him once he went through the doors. Instead of ending up on the streets, he found himself on the roof. Just how in the world did that happen? Was he losing his mind? No, he was sure that he had been on the first floor. The night sky had turned red, giving the city beneath an ominous aura. And for some strange reason he could not help but feel as if he was experiencing a Deja-vu.

"I must commend you," the hissed voice spoke from behind, startling him and prompting the white haired man to turn back and find his counterpart leaned against the now closed doors with his arms crossed. "You haven't lost your touch after all these years. I'm very pleased."

"How did you come back? I know very well that I've beaten you on the inside," Subaru recalled, the memories of that inner struggle beginning to resurface after a long time.

"Was I ever beaten?"

"Enough with the mind tricks!" the old man snapped, his patience having reached a limit. "I know very well what I've lived through back then. I saw past your lies, I dueled you, I defeated you and I've made sure that you would never control me ever again!"

"Keh, while all of that may have been true, you of all should've known that I would one day return," Demon Subaru replied, sounding vaguely disappointed. "Not even the prisons of Hell nor the endless darkness of the Abyss can hold me off for long!"

"I may not know how you've managed to crawl your way back here, but I won't let you harm me or my loved ones ever again!" Subaru declared and took out his deck from the bathrobe's pocket.

The fiend licked his lips. "I've waited half a century for this." He then produced his own deck.

Both their hands glowed purple and two dueling tables arose between them.

"Shishima, I'll make sure that you return to your slumber and never curse this world with your presence again!"

"Bold words for a geezer."

Both set their cards in a strangely similar fashion, almost as if they were looking in the mirror. That was because Demon Subaru was sure to imitate every body movement that the human made. Once they were done, they stared each other in the eye. Subaru's brown eyes masked his fear with righteous anger and a determination to protect those close to him. Demon Subaru's red ones glowed with anticipation of a vengeance long postponed, though whether it was sadistic delight or murderous wrath, the human couldn't tell. With a wave from their right arms, five teal colored rectangular shields arose above each of them.

"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." The cowboy humanoid with a skeletal reptile on his shoulder appeared by Demon Subaru's side.

"I summon Jasmine, Mist Faerie and destroy her." A green haired faerie in a brown dress appeared and immediately exploded, putting the top card of Subaru's deck to his mana zone.

"BloodRayne reduces his cost, so I summon Magnum, Allshot Doll." A blue cowboy doll appeared next to the humanoid.

"I cast Dark Life." Subaru checked the top two cards of his deck, placing Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge to his mana zone and Honenbe, Skeletal Guardian to his graveyard. "Then I cast Shrine of Rebirth." Both Dark Life and Jasmine went into his mana zone from the graveyard.

"I summon Ninjariban, Dragon Edge and bring out Greene, Dragon Soul Ruins." The blue ninja plush toy appeared alongside the green ruins, surprising the old man.

"It can't be… Sora's dragheart?" Subaru wondered, worries for his friend beginning to grow inside.

"Keh, unfortunately that vegan tripped and fell in a butcher's shop," Demon Subaru answered, giving an innocent shrug. "Now what's left of her is minced meat."

That snide attitude meant one thing and Subaru knew it. The fiend was not lying; his mockery was only intended to rub salt on the wound. Sora was dead, there was no doubt when it came to that monster. But dwelling on it and getting even more upset would have only fed her murderer with negative emotions. If he wanted to fight back, Subaru knew that he had to control himself and keep on going. He would first deal with the problem once and for all, then he would allow himself to mourn. Drawing his next card, he began his turn.

"I summon Honenbe, Skeletal Guardian." A purple skull with four bat wings appeared, causing the top three cards of his deck to fall into his graveyard, those being Rebirth Eye, Shrine of Reaper, Haridelberg, Hell of D and Ballom Quake, Lord of Demons, after which he returned a second Honenbe to his hand. "Then I summon another Honenbe." Three more cards fell into his graveyard – Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor, Dark Life and Hellborof, the latter of which went back to his hand.

"Keh, let's get this party started." Demon Subaru licked his fangs in anticipation. "I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge and bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace." The purple wolf plush toy with wings and horns appeared, wielding a scythe which created a hole in the sky and made the winged demonic palace descend from it, floating above them all. "Welcome Hell revives Vader, Dark Armor. Since I put a creature in the battle zone for free, Magnum destroys Ninjariban." The blue cowboy doll aimed a gun at the ninja plush toy and blew him to smithereens. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation landed in his graveyard, allowing him to draw a card.

"I summon Bell Hell De Skull, Moon Reaper and return Ballom Quake from the graveyard back to my hand." A demonic anthropomorphic tiger in golden armor appeared by the old man's side.

"I summon Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter," Demon Subaru said and the purple wolf plush with long hair appeared, thrusting his fists in the air.

"Bochiborof…?" Subaru asked, rather surprised by the new incarnation of Uroborof.

"He's got slayer, and with his other effect I put the top three cards of my deck into the graveyard and return a creature to my hand."

"So a slayer Honenbe?"

"If you're as easy to dismiss cards with potential as an ignorant beginner, I suppose," the devilish teen snidely replied, then he let Falconer, Lightfang Ninja, Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie and Death Hands land in his graveyard, returning the first of them to his hand. "Then I summon Hell Mission, Dark Armor. Hellborof, attack, and Welcome Hell evolves Bochiborof into Duenyan Emperor!" The long haired wolf toy then evolved into a fat black cat toy dressed in emperor attire and wielding a fish skeleton staff. "Magnum's effect destroys Vader. Then S-Rank Invasion "Zombie", I evolve Hellborof into Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie and give -9000 power to one of your Honenbes!" The winged and horned purple wolf then transformed into a dark purple motorcycle robot which immediately grabbed one of the small skull Guardians and crashed it on the ground. "Magnum shall destroy Hell Mission and with Hell Mission's effect I'll destroy your other Honenbe." The cowboy doll shot the dark purple knight and its sword flew off and impaled the other skull Guardian. "Go, Deadzone, triple break his shields!"

The robot rushed into three of Subaru's shields and used its wheel claw to break them, but then a purple light came out of one of them and a horned knight with a red cape appeared and slashed the black cat plush with a scythe.

"Shield trigger activate, I summon Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and destroy Duenyan Emperor!" Subaru retaliated.

"With Duenyan Emperor's effect, I revive Bochiborof," Demon Subaru calmly responded and he watched how Jenny, the Dismantling Doll, Time Tripper and Vader went into his graveyard, the latter of which he returned to his hand. "Then Magnum destroys Bochiborof." Once more the cowboy doll gunned down one of its allied creatures. "Magnum, break his shield! BloodRayne, break his final shield!" Finally, the two cowboy themed creatures rushed at the opponent's remaining shields and brought them down.

Demon Subaru rubbed his hands and crossed his arms, looking satisfied at the cornered old man. But then Subaru looked back at him, the same determination in those brown eyes that he had all those years ago, and he knew that a comeback was imminent. Good, that would have made things more interesting.

"Mana evolution, I evolve Hellborof into Ballom Quake, Lord of Demons!" Subaru shouted and the green goat demon with red wings appeared on a giant yellow leaf filled with red rose petals. "With Ballom Quake's effect, I destroy all non-Demon Commands!" The demon roared and fired purple beams from the holes in his hands, sparing no creature but Bell Hell De Skull. "I end my turn."

"You definitely still have it in you. I like it, I like it a lot!" Demon Subaru exclaimed, his grin growing ever larger while Subaru remained cold and stoic. "I expand Haridelberg, Hell of D." The entire battlefield then shifted into a mountain filled with spikes.

"The time has come to turn the tides against you!" Subaru claimed as his hand erupted with a purple aura upon drawing his next card. "Yes, I evolve Bell Hell De Skull into Tyrant Black Monarch!" The demonic tiger got enveloped by the same purple aura and grew in size, becoming the tall dark purple demon with shining red eyes on his chest. Their opponent gleefully sneered at the sight of both Demon Commands, having a Deja-vu of facing them fifty years ago in his true form as Shishima. "Black Monarch, attack, and I revive both my Honenbes." The two skull Guardians reappeared, causing the top six cards of their owner's deck to fall into the graveyard, him returning Ninjariban and Black Psycho, Revenge. "Go, Black Monarch, triple break his shields!"

Demon Subaru stretched his arms and welcomed the attack, watching the shattered shield shards fly past him. Then he reached out and picked one of the cards, revealing it to his opponent.

"Shield trigger, I summon Death Hands." The creature tried appearing by his side as well, but it was quickly grabbed by Ballom Quake's vines and sent into the mana zone without doing its effect.

"Ballom Quake, break his final shields!" Subaru ordered and the plant demon fired beams from his hands on the remaining two shields, shattering them and leaving both players defenseless.

Silence befell on the scene as both of them stared down each other once more. Although he was in advantage once more, Subaru was breathing heavily, obviously everything taking a toll on his body. But the hope of prevailing was what kept him going. On the other hand, Demon Subaru kept smiling, regardless of the dire situation he was in, almost as if he always was in control. But after sharing his body with him back then, the human knew that it was not always the case. Shishima had fears, Shishima could be defeated, and in the very last moment when said defeat was certain, the demon's smile would fade and the illusion of him being in control would be shattered.

"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash and School Man," Demon Subaru said and the cowboy humanoid reappeared alongside a mud creature possessing a school building, the latter of which imploding and taking the former with it. "School Man's effect, I destroy them both, and Haridelberg shall give -4000 power to both your Honenbes!" Two pairs of spikes rose from the ground and impaled the purple skulls with bat wings. "Then with School Man's effect, choose and destroy one of your creatures!"

"I destroy Black Monarch," Subaru declared and the explosion caught the tall purple demon as well.

"I summon Savage, Forbidden U." A faceless grey armored humanoid with a red cape appeared, its owner putting Uroborof, Dragon Edge from the top of his deck to the graveyard and then returning School Man to his hand. "Then I summon School Man again and destroy them both. Be gone, Ballom Quake!" Demon Subaru exclaimed and gleefully watched how the muddy creature reappeared and blew up again, this time taking with it all the creatures in the battle zone. "I end my turn and activate Haridelberg's Denjara Switch…" he said while flipping the D2 Field card upside down. "…all of my creatures shall be revived!" One by one, Savage, School Man and BloodRayne reappeared once again. "With Savage's effect, I mill Ninjariban and take Hellborof back to my hand. Then with School Man's effect, I destroy both BloodRayne and Savage. Keh, now we're back to square one. Your move, old geezer."

"I summon Ninjariban, Dragon Edge and bring out Blacko, Dragon Soul Palace," Subaru said and the blue ninja plush toy appeared alongside a purple palace with a horned skull atop its entrance. "Is this what you want from me? Then I'll give it to you – Blacko's effect, discard a card!" His opponent scoffed and tossed Vader in the graveyard. "Then I evolve Ninjariban into Black Psycho, Revenge!" The plush toy then transformed into a dark purple jester demon wielding a sword and shield.

"What the…" Demon Subaru murmured and then his eyes widened as he randomly discarded Hellborof and Falconer, Lightfang Ninja, his last means of defense.

"Black Psycho, todomeda!"

Heeding the order, the Demon Command rushed at Subaru's opponent and with a swing of his sword, not only the fiend but also his cards and dueling table vanished in a red smoke. At last, it was all over, he had triumphed once again. Subaru fell to his knees and tried to regain his composure. He would get back inside, inform his friends of what had happened, and then he would finally get that relaxing hot bath he had been craving for.

"I hope you're happy now, Subaru, for you've finally achieved your goal," a hauntingly familiar young woman's voice spoke from behind.

"Who said that?" The old man turned around and had the shock of seeing a girl in her twenties with long blonde hair, wearing an elegant red ball dress that had large holes ripped in several places and was stained with blood. "Tsugumi?" He got up, staring at her in awe. "What happened to you?"

"The chosen duelists are dead…" she coldly stated.

"What?! But I've defeated the Demon, everything is supposed to be okay now!"

"Demon…? What demon?" the young Tsugumi asked as she gave a little laugh that had a hint of sadness. "No, Subaru, there's no demon, you're crazy."

"What do you mean there's no demon?!" the old man raised his voice. "That's impossible, I know what I saw, I know what I've been through, I'm not crazy!" He shook his head in disbelief, just what was going on?

"I know that you disliked me after our relationship broke. I admit it, I was too proud to own up to my faults and I hurt you even more when I betrayed you," she confessed with a saddening honesty he had never seen before, yet had always expected of her back in their youth. "But despite all that, I thought that we… were still friends," her voice broke a bit, then she gave him a short sob. "Somehow I thought we could still get along." And then her sad expression turned into one of pure anger. "But you trapped me in that basement, you raped me while tearing out my internal organs, no mercy or regret in your eyes… only joy. As you ripped my entrails out, as you tore my womb, as you chewed right through my neck."

"What?!" Subaru yelled. "Tsugumi, you're wrong, I would never do such a thing!" he explained as he began to sweat profusely. "Back then he controlled me, but somehow I managed to regain control and defeat him. And, and, and now I just defeated him again… yes, I defeated him again, to make sure he'd never hurt-"

"Oh yes you did," she interrupted him with a sarcastic tone. "You so controlled yourself when you killed me, Edo, Sora and Rita. Oh, and Rad. Out of us all, he tried his best to get to you, and what did you do to him?"

Subaru gulped as he waited for her answer, which came soon in an even louder scream.

"You tore him to pieces, you shoved your claws into his body and pulled out every organ your greedy hands could catch, fucking grinning while he was screaming in agony and choking on his own blood!"

"I would never do anything like that!" Subaru yelled back, his legs shaking.

"You did that to one of my friends…" Tsugumi paused for a moment. "…and worse, to your own lover!"

"I couldn't have… Shishima must've made me do it…" the old man nodded, his voice beginning to crack. "Y-yes… that fucking bastard… he made me do it!"

"There is no Shishima!" the blonde shouted at him once again and calmed down afterwards. "He was all just your imagination, your little scapegoat to hide the fact that you're an evil fuck. Everyone who died back then and will die now are your responsibility! The heartless monster who went as far as to butcher babies in front of their mothers."

Subaru was stunned and left speechless. Was she right? Had Shishima all this time truly been only inside his head? Was he the one who did all the murders back then? If that was the case, then were the past fifty years a lie? Had he been living in a happy delusion while in the real world others were dying at his hands?

"I can't believe I ever loved you," Tsugumi spoke again, looking at him with sorrow and disgust. "Farewell, you sick piece of shit, I hope you've got what you wanted…"

And then she vanished, leaving behind a tearful Subaru who slowly headed to the roof's edge, staring down at the desolate city beneath.

"I couldn't… have done any of that. Shishima… was he really just in my mind?" He clenched his teeth as he started to realize that maybe that truly was the case, and the severe implications soon followed. "No… Tsugumi, everyone, I'm… No, forgive me, please."

Closing his eyes, he let himself fall headfirst, and as he did so, his entire life began flashing back to him, all pleasant and painful moments, an adventure for which there was no number of novels to best capture it. And when all was said and done, what words were there left to say? None, only silence, and the cold and tough embrace of the asphalt which finally opened death's doors for him.

Demon Subaru walked to the body with his arms crossed and a satisfied smirk, followed by a highly impressed Bochiborof. The illusion had worked brilliantly.

"Milord, that could have been your greatest performance yet, I'm in awe!" the purple wolf confessed, but his master ignored him as he focused his attention on the latest victim.

"Keh, you really could defeat me a second time, Subaru. However, you forgot that in the end a demon always has an ace up his sleeve!"

Demon Subaru laughed triumphantly, but suddenly he began to cough even harder than usual, blood squirting out of his mouth as he grasped his chest tightly in a vain attempt of stopping himself. The power he kept using began taking a harsher and harsher toll on his body. He may have ultimately prevailed, but in the end both sides of the mirror had been shattered.


	14. Comfort

It was warm. Not the annoying kind of warm that one endured in summer's hottest days, struggling through countless amounts of sweat and feeling like peeling off their own skin in order to feel any kind of chill. No, it was the comfortable kind of warm that one felt in the refuge of their home when outside the weather was growing colder and colder. A warmth similar to the one a small child felt when mother hugged him to her bosom. And yet despite the protection of said warmth, the knowledge that beyond safety everything was getting colder killed the full sense of security. For the feeling of dread still floated above, a sword of Damocles so subtle yet persistent that it had become akin to a ticking time bomb.

Those were the thoughts that disturbed Hajime's mind as he patiently sat at the table in the kitchen and watched his beloved grandmother prepare her famous dumpling soup, making sure not to make it too salty nor too plain, as after every few stirs she would raise the spoon, give a short blow and slurp a bit on the liquid in her careful and meticulous way. Usually he would have paid little attention to such details, maybe he would have been reading a book at the table or browsing his Facebook feed for updates on his colleagues and their fairly trivial lives, occasionally giving short answers to her whenever he was addressed. But this time he was unable to find refuge in literature or the virtual world. The knowledge that his grandmother was so close to imminent danger and that a psychopath had his eyes on both of them kept bothering him and made him hold his guard up even more so than before.

"Hajime, you seem distraught." Tsugumi broke the silence between them, her voice sounding ever so kind and concerned.

"It's nothing," he brushed off her concerns, trying his best to sound like his usual passive self.

"You seem… rather focused. Usually you're off in your own little world." And silence followed once more. "You've been this way since you returned from school. Did something happen?"

Hajime raised his head and both pairs of blue eyes locked for a few short moments. He knew that as much as he tried to mask his concerns with the veil of his introverted behavior, in the end his grandmother would have found out the truth. She always did, almost like she had some kind of superpower. And so, having no other choice besides being blunt…

"The killer knows where we live." His answer left Tsugumi petrified. Her heart began to race and her blood pressure was slowly increasing. "I don't know how, but he does. He called me and told me not to contact the police, or else…" His lower lip began shaking along with his voice. "Or else… something bad would happen to you."

Hajime regretfully watched his grandmother rub her temples, trying her best to take it all in. After leaving the soup to simmer, she took a seat at the table.

"I'm sorry, it's because of m-…" Hajime could not even finish his thought, for he was silenced by Tsugumi's raised palm.

"No, it's not you," she replied shortly. "It's not you. It's me. Sooner or later, he would've come for me."

"But why you? Why us? Why is all of this happening to us?"

"Demons hold grudges that can last for countless generations. He was our last foe before we decided to go on with our lives. And he probably was the worst of them all. It's one thing to confront an outside evil, but when that evil was always infiltrated in your team, you've begun the battle in a huge disadvantage. And it's all my fault." Tsugumi began rubbing her temples once more, tears forming in her eyes. "I never should've left Subaru. Maybe if I had been more rational, none of this would've happened. That demon would've remained forever dormant inside him. All those deaths, all the horror we've endured, it's all my fault!"

"Grandma…" Hajime reached his hand and gently grabbed her forearm. "Grandma, please." And then their eyes met once more. "You can't change the past, so don't dwell on it."

"No, I can't." She took a breath of relief and relaxed in her chair. "But maybe I can do something to prevent his future murders."

"Yes, you can. Grandma, if there's anything else you haven't told me about Demon Subaru, I'm all ears. If it's truly him out there, your information might be vital."

"Hajime, this is not something I'd wish to remember." The old woman then sighed with resignation and continued, "Yet it seems I no longer have a choice. You see, back in my youth when I had betrayed my friends to one of our enemies at the time, my actions had left a great impact on our group. We had broken into factions and general trust was lost. It was hard to rebuild it, and even so I still feared they would've never accepted me again. So, while they were meeting again as friends, I had moved into our mansion and was occasionally paying them visits. Little did I know that said visits were triggering something inside Subaru. I still didn't know how to approach him after what I had done, but unfortunately he, or rather… that demon did."

"What did he do?"

"He crashed one of my high-class parties, forcing me to come outside and see what the ruckus was all about. And that's when I first saw him – he looked the same as the man I had once loved, yet that face betrayed the monster that lurked inside him. I'll admit that I was scared of him from our very first encounter, and he took great advantage from that. There's something about that piercing glare from those hellish eyes coupled with that horrible grin. I forced myself to be brave and managed to defeat him in a duel, awakening the real Subaru. But it was far from over, as I feared. Some weeks passed since then and I was confronted by my friends over what I had done. The fact that they were so willing to forgive me only added salt to my wounds, but in the end, I had accepted their invitation to a party back at their place. On that night I met up with Subaru and we shared some private time where we reconciled our differences… and then we made love."

Hajime's jaw dropped and he muttered, "Really? Then he must be my…"

"This isn't the right time for that," Tsugumi reminded him. "Needless to say, I had thought that I was in heaven once again. Little did I know that it was all an illusion. A clever trap to catch me at my weakest point. Demon Subaru had revealed himself to me after the fact, and from that point onward he had unleashed hell on our city. After trapping us all and isolating us from the outside world, he unleashed an army of creatures to feast upon the citizens. And while my friends were struggling to survive, he had thrown me into a sleep-induced coma for three days in which he personally tortured me with nightmares of my past sins."

"I don't get it, why did he focus so much on you out of all the other chosen duelists?"

"Because I had broken Subaru's heart and that was his deepest desire, to make me suffer as much as I made him. But later I realized that it was more than just that, the demon knew that I was the strongest of our team, which was why he kept focusing so much on me. For a broken spirit can hardly put up a fight. And yet I still tried, even after waking up from my nightmares and seeing that the real world had become as horrific. My last fight against that monster began when he caught me alone on a street and chased me into a dark flat's basement. It was there that I had lost the duel and he took my life in the slowest and most agonizing way possible. Later on, he was defeated and all of his actions since the isolation of our city were undone. I awoke in that basement as if nothing had ever happened, but the memories remained, a dark reminder of our last and possibly worst foe."

"If you can, could you describe me his modus operandi? Did you notice any of his habits?"

"Demon Subaru has a love for setting traps, and he makes sure that they're very complicated to escape from. He also emotionally toys with his victims, dragging out the psychological torture long enough before he reveals himself, knowing what buttons to push in order to make them angrier or more scared. Last but not least, he has a great desire for power which came in the form of him corrupting his opponents' cards into dark versions for his own use, of course before brutally murdering them."

"It's almost as if the Devil himself had possessed Subaru," Hajime remarked grimly. "He seemed like such a nice old man, what you've described here is the polar opposite."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with you," Tsugumi replied as she got up and went to check on the soup, preparing the bowls and spoons. "It was only through a miracle that Subaru managed to defeat that monster on the inside while his rival defeated him on the outside. Then all of his actions were undone once said rival separated All Over The World's pieces."

"All Over The World? What's that?"

"It's a creature formed of five cards. Each of them represented a building that was enchanted by their creator to be a mana resource and represent a main aspect of each civilization. They were as follows: Whitey – a church that stood for justice, Bluenika – a fortress that stood for knowledge, Blacko – a palace that stood for hedonism, Reddull – a castle that stood for passion, and Greene – a ruin that stood for primal nature. When united, they give birth to a creature that has the power over each aspect of our universe. Demon Subaru had spied on their creator and sabotaged the process of awakening All Over The World, killing him and separating the cards. The pieces went to each of the chosen duelists, whom he subsequently hunted down so he could rebuild this great weapon. And had he succeeded, he could've ascended to godhood and remade our universe however he pleased. Now the pieces are once more in the care of us former chosen duelists, and we vowed to each keep one so that nobody would ever attempt rebuilding this weapon again."

Tsugumi returned to the table with the two bowls of soup. A small trail of steam rose from the warm liquid, its smell ever more delightful to Hajime.

"That's all I can tell you," she concluded and sat down. "I hope you've gained some wisdom from what you heard tonight."

"Thanks, grandma. I'll make sure your help won't be in vain," the blond promised with a nod.

"How about after supper we have another duel? I want to see if you've grown any stronger since last time."

"You got it!"

As he enjoyed his dinner, Hajime took into consideration the possibility of each chosen duelist becoming a target for the killer, especially if it were Demon Subaru. As such, he wanted to warn all of his grandmother's friends, but since he feared for her life, he decided to stay put for the time being.

Later that night, the two of them were once again in front of the two dueling tables from the living room. With their shields set up and their cards drawn, the youth was more than eager to see if he had grown any better.

"I summon Crista, First Squad," Hajime said and the small floating creature made of pale-yellow crystal appeared next to him.

"I charge mana and end." Tsugumi passed her turn.

"I summon another Crista and Sky Chain, Red Wrath." A second crystal-like creature appeared alongside a tall red robotic creature bound by chains. "Crista, break her shield!" The first creature heeded his order and flew right into one of the opposing shields, shattering it into pieces.

Tsugumi calmly took the card into her hand and did her turn. "I cast Aquan Jr.'s Delivery," she said and revealed the top three cards of her deck – Dragon's Sign, Heaven's Rosia, True Dragon Edge and Miracle Star, Time Caster, all of which went to her hand.

"My turn, since I have more shields than you, Sky Chain's Labyrinth allows me to draw an extra card. I summon a third Crista and White Night, Edge on Yin Yang!" A robotic cyclops made of sharp purple crystals of imposing stature appeared on the field. "White Night's effect grants me another shield and then Labyrinth, my Metallicas win all battles until my next turn! Go, Crista, break her shield! Then the second Crista, break another shield!"

"Your excitement is commendable, it shows that you enjoy the duel wholeheartedly," Tsugumi remarked as the floating shield shards united into two cards that went in her hand. "However, it's time to get serious! Let's see if you can withstand the pressure this time – shield trigger, I cast Heaven's Gate! With its effect I bring out Bonsoir, Dragon Elemental Admiral and Miracle Star, Time Caster!" Two angelic dragons arose, one donning white armor and wielding a golden staff, the other with long blonde hair, large golden feathered wings and a white and blue armor resembling a space suit. "Bonsoir's effect, I reveal the top three cards of my deck and add all blockers to my hand." Said cards were Wisdompheus, Dragonic Spirit, Kernel, Blue Stagnation Dragon Elemental and Emeralda, Pitch Dragon Elemental, all of which went to her hand. "Miracle Star's effect, I return spells with different costs from the graveyard to my hand, so I return Aquan Jr.'s Delivery and Heaven's Gate. And now it's my turn. Gravity Zero, I cast Miracle Stop for free, you can't cast spells until the start of my next turn!" Pairs of golden vines surrounded each of Hajime's shields. "Bonsoir, attack and Revolution Change into Miradante Twelve, Time Pope!" The white armored dragon rushed at Hajime and then turned around to fly towards another white armored winged angelic dragon donning a Pope helmet, clock shaped orbs and long hair, the two hi-fiving and Bonsoir disappearing to be replaced by the new creature. "Final Revolution, you can't summon creatures that cost 7 or less until the end of your next turn!" Another pair of golden vines was wrapped around Hajime's hands. "Then I cast Dragon's Sign and bring out Heaven's Rosia, True Dragon Edge!" The armored humanoid appeared on the battlefield next to draconic duo. "With his effect I bring out Heaven's Heaven, Heavenly Justice from the hyperspatial zone." A white and golden futuristic church shaped like a sci-fi spaceship also descended from a hole in the ceiling. "Miradante Twelve, triple break his shields!" Tsugumi ordered and the creature fired spears from its orbs. "Miracle Star, double break his shields!" another order followed and the other dragon formed a blue orb in its large hands and tossed it upon the opposing shields. "I end my turn and Heaven's Heaven brings out Emeralda, Pitch Dragon Elemental." A white and golden armored angelic dragon wielding a staff that had a piano's keyboard on it also appeared. "With Emeralda's effect, I set a shield from my hand. Your move, dear grandson." Tsugumi finally passed the turn in her usual elegant manner.

Hajime had been in this pinch situation before where he was locked down and could hardly play anything. But this time around there was still some hope, those three copies of Crista that he had out were each reducing the cost of his Metallicas by 1. All he needed was a creature that could bypass Miradante Twelve's lockdown. It was then that he once more had a short vision of a floating dark purple gem with hands and a red eye in its center. He had felt this creature's call before and could have sworn that he once saw its card glow weakly. Whatever it was, as he drew his next card, he hoped that it could have saved him from suffering another terrible loss. And then his smile returned once he saw the mana cost 8. Moving his hand straight for the table, he broke the vines that were wrapped around it.

"I summon Ov Sidia!" Hajime exclaimed and the creature from his visions appeared on the battlefield, radiating with a bright purple light. "For each of your creatures I'll reveal the top card of my deck and put all Metallicas that cost 6 or less into the battle zone tapped!"

"And since putting is not summoning, that will bypass Miradante Twelve…" Tsugumi replied, surprised at the turnover. "Not bad."

"I evolve Sky Chain into Shouten, Stellar Guidance. I evolve Crista into Immovable, Proud Soul. Then I also put two Levoix, Blue Defense Silver into the battle zone." One by one, the youth's army of Metallica creatures only grew bigger. "White Night, double break her shields!" Hajime ordered, and much to his surprise, Tsugumi did not block the attack. "Crista, break her final shield!" And once more, his attack went unblocked and thus his opponent was rendered defenseless. "I end my turn and Shouten brings out Wonder Turtle, Great Labyrinth Turtle tapped as well."

"I must say, Hajime, I'm impressed. Few manage to find a loophole out of my deck's lockdown," the old woman admitted. "However, that doesn't mean I'm done just yet!"

"Bring all you've got, grandma!"

"Very well, I cast Dragon's Sign and bring out a second Heaven's Rosia which in turn brings out Endless Heaven, True Holy Church!" Another armored humanoid appeared alongside a floating church with large blue roses painted on each corner and two pairs of blue wings coming out of both sides, a dragon's head sculpted above its large entrance. "Then I attack your final shield with my first Heaven's Rosia!"

"I untap Levoix and redirect the attack to Wonder Turtle! Since Wonder Turtle wins the battle, I put Taslic, Strange Stone into the battle zone."

"I also activate Endless Heaven's effect, since of my creatures was destroyed, I add a shield from the top of my deck! Now go, Emeralda, break his final shield!"

"I untap the other Levoix and redirect the attack to Wonder Turtle, then I bring out Bernine, Dragon Armored and draw a card."

"I add another shield and attack with Miracle Star!"

"I untap Shouten and redirect the attack to Wonder Turtle, then I bring out Shibasi, Blue Defense Silver."

"I add another shield and attack with Miradante Twelve, then I Revolution Change into another Miradante Twelve, Time Pope! I activate his Final Revolution once again and also draw a card. Now go, break his final shield!"

Hajime took the attack and was quick to respond once he got the card in his hand, "Shield trigger, I cast Super Eternal Spark and send Heaven's Heaven back to the hyperspatial zone!"

"I end my turn and since I have more shields than you, I Dragsolution Endless Heaven into Neverend, True Destiny King!" Tsugumi exclaimed and the floating church transformed into an angelic dragon who wielded a double-bladed spear and wore the church's architecture as his armor. "I must admit, it's been a long time since an opponent had managed to resist me this well. I've actually enjoyed this match for once."

"Thank you, but unfortunately I will end this now."

"Give it your best shot, kid."

"Wonder Turtle, destroy Miradante Twelve!" The turtle made of precious stones with an emerald shell lashed at the angelic dragon and squashed him with its large body. "Ov Sidia, triple break her shields!"

"Heaven's Rosia gained blocker from Dragon's Sign, so I'll block the attack!" The humanoid jumped in front of the large purple gem, his spear ready to defend his owner, and he was blasted by a ray from the creature's only red eye.

"Immovable, double break her shields and I'll add a shield from the top of my deck!" The caped knight made of gold lashed at the opponent and slashed away two of her remaining three shields. "Shouten, break her final shield!" The sapphire creature also lashed at her and cut off the last shield with its emerald sword.

"Shield trigger, I cast Rainbow Spark and draw two cards. Then Mana Arms 2, I tap Crista and Taslic!" And with that, Tsugumi gave a sigh of relief. The match was almost over. "Well done. Now go on, deliver the finishing blow."

"Bernine…" Hajime placed his hand on the weakest untapped creature that he had left for an attack, then he stared at his grandmother and saw the conviction with which she was ready to accept the loss, no matter how painful it might have been. But maybe there was another way, maybe he did not have to always hurt his opponents whenever he had true duels. In that aspect he was unlike her. "Stand back!" At his order, all of the young one's creatures disappeared and he began packing his cards.

"Why?" the old woman asked, baffled by his decision. "Why not finish me off?"

"The duel is over; my victory was sealed. There's no need for me to cause you harm."

"I see, you have a big heart, Hajime." And with that, Tsugumi also called off her creatures and packed her cards. "Congratulations, you're finally strong enough to stand up to me. Who knows, maybe you'll also have a chance against that fiend."

"Don't worry, no matter what happens, I swear I'll avenge Ken's death and put an end to that nightmare from your youth!" the blond said, the determination in his voice and on his face greater than ever. "You won't have to be afraid ever again."

"You're a good boy." The old woman patted his hair shortly. "But you should be extra careful out there and not rely just on your deck, but also your instinct. Remember, when facing an evil of this high caliber, not everything will be as it seems."

"Thank you, I'll do my best." Hajime then gave Tsugumi a kiss on the cheek and headed upstairs. "Good night!"

"Sweet dreams!"

Soon enough he found himself back in the comfort of his room, relaxing in his tourqoise pajamas as he browsed the internet on his laptop, searching for more clues about the killer. Unfortunately, he could not find much other than a few sensationalistic news articles regarding the recent murders. From the police's press claims, it seemed that they were way behind when it came to finding this notorious criminal. A ping on Facebook made him switch tabs on his browser to see that he had gotten a message from Jack:

 _hi, sry if im botherin but maybe we can be more discreet bout wut were doin? ya know, the whole detective work with a psycho on our tails. we could end up in srs trouble, just sayin._

Hajime giggled at the atrocious grammar and was quick to type a reply:

 _Don't worry, I'll be extra careful from now on. I advise that you and Lori be as well._

And then the last message of their conversation followed:

 _will do partner. gn_

Funnily enough, that terrible typing reminded Hajime of how Ken used to text him during courses out of boredom. As he went to bed, images of the two of them playing together in the sand box at kindergarten began to flash in his mind. And from there on, he remembered how with each year that passed, their friendship grew closer, like two different brothers who were arguing one moment and lightheartedly laughing the next. Hajime imagined what that gaming weekend that Ken had promised him would have been like, maybe they would have wasted hours and hours on end playing some 2-player shooter, probably one with naked hookers, that would have been so suited for his friend's tastes. They would have ordered at least six pizza boxes and twelve beers, trash talked their peers and professors, maybe spied on the girls' dorm. But most importantly, the weekend would have passed before they knew it and they would have never noticed it because they would have had so much fun together. Alas, that was never going to happen. Reality had to come and slap him so hard, reminding him of death's inevitability and how it was everyone's fate, whether good or bad. Hajime knew that never again would he have fun with no cares in the world or open up freely to a friend who understood him so well. Fighting back the tears, he tried to get some sleep.


	15. Pulled by Love's Strings

Smoke came from a dim dark alley, rising from the ground between the forgotten buildings to the great heights of the sky, losing its form on the way. The night was surprisingly quiet, no being dared to wander the streets at that late hour. You could hear the flames crack as they melted the bag containing a fresh dead body, the stench of its flesh filling the already foul-smelling corner. Demon Subaru and Bochiborof watched as their little bonfire disposed of the latest victim's remains. At last, the human to whom Shishima had been bound was finally dead, and with his body also gone, their connection was forever severed. As he watched his last host wither away in the inferno, he swore to himself that he would never be bound to another human again. Sure, his current body was too weak to withstand his growing power, but at the very least he was independent again after so long.

In hindsight, Subaru had probably been the wimpiest and weakest of his hosts. There was no innate malice or hatred coming from him, so the demon had to work with whatever inner frustrations the human had from his repressed emotions. But how funny it was that through this human he had finally found a power source suited for his goals. All those centuries he had spent in the bodies of serial killers, warlords and dictators had given him no result in his quest. In the end, he was at least grateful to Subaru for making him aware of All Over The World. That hero's legacy was ultimately what would bring about Shishima's ascent to godhood. Truly fate was an ironic bitch.

A new coughing fit forced Demon Subaru to sit down between to garbage cans. He had tried to gain control of his respiratory system for the third time that night and to no avail. His lungs were betraying him and more blood jumped out of his mouth. Even as he tried to relax and get a hold of himself, the pain in the rest of his body began to resurface. He felt his bones and muscles ache and go numb. Everything around was spinning in all directions and a growing headache disturbed his thoughts. What good was an independent body when he constantly felt as if he were on the verge of death? He had to finish his little quest before that pathetic flesh vessel gave in.

"Milord, I beg you, tell me if there's anything I can do for you!" Bochiborof's desperate voice bothered him.

"Nothing…" he growled in response and pulled the cards of Bluenika, Greene and Blacko from his pocket with a shaking hand. "Come on, answer me…" he weakly demanded as he stared at the cards. "Don't you wish to be whole again?" But as always, the cards remained unresponsive. He knew the creature was well aware of his efforts to help it, but every time he asked for some aid in the form of power, he always found himself having to force it out of the cards. Was it testing him to see if he could fare on his own? He was not in the mood for such cheap tricks.

"Master, there has to be something. Please, tell me what you need!" the purple wolf plushie insisted and approached the weakened one.

"Fucking answer me already!" Demon Subaru snapped at the cards, his shriek startling Bochiborof. "I grow tired of your games." His calm demeanor returned. "If you won't give me what I need, I'll just take it again." His fingers gripped around the three cards and glowed purple as they absorbed power from them.

But this around things were different. Instead of making the pain go away, the cards amplified it. Demon Subaru sank his upper fangs into his lower lip, trying his best to suppress his screams of agony. His entire body felt as if it were on fire from the inside. Those sensations took him back to the time when he escaped the clutches of the Abyss, having fought a barrier of flames as strong as the ones that now burnt him, if not stronger. He suffered, therefore he existed.

All of a sudden, he was back on his feet as if nothing had happened. Like an addict being given his drug, he now felt well once more. But the fact that his pain was growing longer and stronger worried him. Maybe Bochiborof was right, maybe he had to put less strain on his body. It meant that his illusions had to be less elaborate and bombastic. But he could still find a way to use them for his next victim. With newfound confidence and a malicious smile on his face, he motioned for his minion to follow as he walked out of the alley. The bonfire behind them was out, leaving only a pile of ashes which scattered in the wind.

Meanwhile at the racing track, a red jet with painted yellow flames seared through the air, passing obstacle upon obstacle with a precision that newcomers found it impossible to achieve. The pilot was enjoying the thrill of his challenge so much as if it were the first time he sat on the driver's seat. Soon enough, he crossed the floating finish line, gaining the first place again. What a pity, the race was over too soon yet again. How he wished he could just go fast and not have a thing in the world stop him from that thrill. For while he was up in the air, he truly felt free. Alas, he had gone through those feelings for most of his life. After parking his vehicle, he walked out and relaxed on a bench, chugging down some water.

"Great performance, as always." His boss who had been watching from the sidelines walked up to the bench. "With how quickly you're responding to the obstacles, this Grand Prix is surely going to be ours!"

"Thanks, sir. I may look old, but I'm still the fastest pilot that's flown this dome's tracks," Rad proudly bragged with a confident smirk.

"At the rate you bring us victories, you're going to get another raise soon," the boss promised and he placed a hand on the racer's shoulder. "But until then you're getting a day off tomorrow, you deserve it."

"Heh, not like I'd need it."

"I know, I know, but we've got to let the young ones win at least a race or two." And with that, the boss walked away. "Good night!"

With a shrug, Rad tossed the empty bottle in the trash bin and went to pack his stuff up and go home. At that late an hour, Subaru was most likely fast asleep despite the promise of waiting for him to get home. He would have to quietly enter their apartment, have a short midnight snack and discreetly slip in bed next to him. The following morning maybe the two of them could go to a restaurant or watch a movie. It had been a while since they last shared some time together. But now with this day off, he finally got the right opportunity to do so. He awoke from his trail of thought when his phone rang.

"Hello?" Rad answered as he zipped his bag closed.

"Hey there, it's me again." Subaru's melodious voice resounded through the phone.

"Glad to hear you're not asleep yet. How was the bath?"

"Warm and relaxing, but it unfortunately lacked something…"

"And how's your broken arm doing?" Silence followed on the other line. "After that fall, you've been recovering a bit slower than usual. The doctor told you to take it easy."

"Don't worry…" Subaru's voice gave a slight hint of insecurity, but it soon regained its usual playful confidence. "My arm's feeling much better already! That bath helped, but I know something that could help me more."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"I think that you could treat me better than a doctor."

Giggling at the innuendo, Rad responded in his usual boasting attitude, "How right you are, when it comes to you there's no better doctor than me!"

"Anyway, are you still busy for the rest of the night?"

"Nah, the boss told me that my performance was so awesome that I've won myself a day off."

"Wonderful! I've also finished the first draft of my latest book and now I'm also free." Another short pause followed, after which Subaru sounded even more suggestive. "Do you mind if we go out on a little date?"

"I was planning on hitting the hay, but that can wait. We haven't spent much time lately."

"Hehe, I knew you would agree. Meet me at the beach in half an hour and we'll figure it out from there."

"Ah, nothing like a late-night stroll by the sea, ey? Fine, I'll be there as fast as I can."

Rad hung up and wasted no time. With the little travel bag on his shoulder, he ran out of the racing dome and across the city's main street. He checked his watch, it was 0:30 AM. Others might have mistaken him for a late-night jogger, but he wouldn't have cared what they thought, for only one thing was on his mind. Subaru had not sounded this romantic and seductive in years! After those past months of constant racing, the best reward he could have gotten was his husband being more like when they were young.

Soon enough, he had arrived at the stairs which descended to the city's beach. The calm sounds of the sea's waves delighted him and the smell of saltwater refreshed him. But beneath them he could hear a surprisingly pleasant hum and smell a strange perfume of roses. They pulled him forward down the stairs, and very quickly he found his boots stepping on soft sand. It was almost as if he were entranced, but he did not seem to care much, for not too far ahead was the love of his life, standing with his arms crossed and with his back against a dueling table. As he approached, Rad took the time to admire Subaru with the moonlight falling upon him. Despite their old age, he still found his long-haired lover to be as beautiful and attractive as when they first met. But strangely enough, his husband wore a hooded black jacket which he had never seen before.

"Right on time as usual," Subaru acknowledged him with a little smirk.

"Was there any doubt?" Rad nodded and approached him, putting a hand under the other's chin. "I've waited so much for this…" He leaned in for a kiss, only to be stopped by a hand on his chest gently pushing him back.

"Not yet."

"Cock tease."

"You know, I'm no longer interested in us going out somewhere."

"Then why call me all the way out here if we're not going on a date anymore?"

"I'd rather we stay and enjoy ourselves right here. On the beach, by the sea, under the starry sky, where only the night will be our witness."

Although he was disappointed at first by the sudden denial of physical intimacy, his husband's poetic talk was always a turn on. There was something about Subaru's brainy side that Rad found very appealing, both on an intellectual and romantic level.

"Fine by me, then what do you suggest we do?"

"How about a duel?" The hooded one pulled out a deck from his coat. "If you win, I'll let you do anything to me."

A spark ignited in Rad's eyes. He immediately fetched his deck out of the travel bag and went to the opposing table. They were both quick to set up their cards and soon enough their shields materialized, indicating the beginning of their match.

"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash," Subaru said and the cowboy humanoid with a skeletal serpent on his arm appeared.

"I cast Mendelssohn." Rad revealed the top two cards of his deck which were GENJI Triple Cross, Passion Dragon and Mettagils, Passion Dragon, both of which went into his mana zone tapped.

"I summon Jenny, the Dismantling Doll." A white haired red eyed puppet wearing a black and red dress and wielding a large cutter appeared, forcing the opponent to reveal his hand – Zark Taiser, Passion Admiral, Eternal Ryusei Kaiser, Batocross Battle, Passion Dragon and Mitsurugi Boost, Matchless Dragon Demon. "How lovely, you've still got Madness cards."

"What else should I do when I'm facing a discard heavy deck?"

"Heh, I guess you're right. Discard Mitsurugi Boost and your move."

"Very well, I charge mana and end here."

"Lovely. Then I summon Ninjariban, Dragon Edge, who will bring out Greene, Dragon Soul Ruins." A blue ninja themed plushie appeared alongside a pair of green ruins, causing Subaru to put the top card of his deck into his mana zone.

Rad was quick to take notice, "Wait a minute, is that Sora's dragheart?"

"Why yes, she lent it to me for a little while. You see, I'm testing a new deck."

That was strange, since when was Sora on such good terms with Subaru? The last time he recalled them meeting, they had had an argument over her finding Subaru's latest book as being too nihilistic for her tastes. But he had been so busy over the past few months, who knew, maybe they had made up during his absence.

"Alright then, but you're not the only one who can ramp – I cast Child Festival of Faerie Fire! With its effect I check the top two cards of my deck and put Glenmalt "Head", Dimension Dragon Edge to my mana zone and the other at the bottom of my deck. Then since I put a Fire card with its effect, I return the spell back to my hand. Now I cast Child Festival of Faerie Fire again and put Hero Mystery, Burning Galaxy to my mana zone. I return the spell once more and your turn."

Subaru smiled slyly and licked his lips. "Time to make things more fun – I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge, mill the top 2 cards of my deck and bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace!" The horned and winged wolf plushie appeared alongside the winged dark palace as Vader, Dark Armor and Duenyan Emperor landed in their owner's graveyard. "With Welcome Hell's effect I evolve Hellborof into Duenyan Emperor!" The wolf was surrounded by a purple aura and grew into a fat black cat plushie wearing an emperor's crown and cape as well as wielding a golden staff shaped like a fish's skeleton. "Ninjariban, attack and Welcome Hell shall revive Vader, Dark Armor as well. Now go, break his shield!" The shielded grey armored knight appeared as the ninja plushie jumped in the air and broke one of Rad's shields. "Duenyan Emperor, double break his shields!" The cat plushie rushed at the opposing shields and took them down with his staff. "BloodRayne, break his shield!" The cowboy humanoid was next to take down a shield, using the skeletal serpent on his arm, but this time around the opponent had gained an answer.

"Shield trigger, I cast Hero Mystery, Burning Galaxy and destroy Vader! Then Mana Arms 7, I also destroy Welcome Hell!" A powerful draconic flame quickly enveloped both the grey knight and the winged palace, making them vanish.

"Jenny, break his final shield!" Subaru ordered and the puppet cut it down with her blade.

"Shield trigger, I cast Tenshukaku, Dragon King Keep!" Rad was quick to reveal the card he had received from his shield. "I check the top 5 cards of my deck and reveal GENJI Double Cross, Blastdragon to destroy Ninjariban! Then Mana Arms 5, I take GENJI Double Cross to my hand." The racer took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. After all this time, his lover had remained a worthy opponent despite the advantage that Rad's aggressive decks usually had over him. But deep inside he enjoyed being cornered like that, it pushed him to the limit and motivated him to get better as a duelist. "You gave the best you've got, now it's time I did the same – I summon MaltNEXT, Super Battle Dragon Edge and bring out Heart Burn, Battle General Galaxy Fortress!"

Subaru's smile grew eerily wide as he saw the humanoid wearing a red and blue armor emerge alongside the large fortress that had a red and a blue dragon's head on its left and right. Crossing his arms, the hooded one spoke calmly, "I'm waiting, come at me."

"Heart Burn gives speed attacker to all of my creatures, so I attack with MaltNEXT, double break his shields!" The armored humanoid gave a battle cry and rushed at Rad's opponent, punching away two of his shields. "Dragon Mana Arms 5, I untap MaltNEXT. Since I untapped a Dragon, Heart Burn shall Dragsolution into GuyNEXT, Super Battle Victory Dragon! Go, GuyNEXT, break his final shields!" The two heads on the fortress fused into one as the rest of the building transformed into a dragon that used its bits for armor and weaponry. GuyNEXT also gave a battle roar and rushed at the remaining shields, going through them all. "Good game, Subaru. But I'm afraid the match is all mine. MaltNEXT, todomeda!" At Rad's order, the humanoid rushed straight at the hooded one, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Ninja Strike 4, I summon Falconer, Lightfang Ninja and block the attack!" A white creature shaped like a plane appeared in front of MaltNEXT and took the full force of his punches, blowing up in the process and saving its owner from losing the game.

"Ah, still got a bit of fight left in you, huh?" Rad asked, excitement in his voice, it had been a while since he had felt such a thrill from duels. "Alright, it's your move then."

"I summon Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation and evolve him into Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie!" A fat white ghost with four arms and a giant mouth in its belly appeared and quickly transformed into a large dark purple motorcycle robot with a wheel for one of its hands and a red cape on its back. "Deadzone's effect gives -9000 to MaltNEXT and destroys him!" The robot fired a puff of black smoke at the red and blue humanoid, making him cough and faint, disappearing from the battle zone. "Now go, Deadzone, finish him off!"

"Not so fast! Revolution 0 Trigger – Boshack Dogiragon!" The racer revealed the top card of his deck and put it into the battle zone along with the one from his hand. "I bring out Mega Magma Dragon and evolve him into Bolshack Dogiragon! Mega Magma Dragon's effect destroys BloodRayne and Jenny, then Bolshack Dogiragon shall battle Deadzone!" The red armored dragon with golden fists and long blue hair appeared in the way of the zombie robot and blocked his mechanical arms with his own hands. The two creatures struggled until they both vanished in an explosion. "It seems like I've also got a bit of fight left in me too, right?"

Much to Rad's surprise, his lover ignored the snark this time around and continued his turn, "Duenyan Emperor, attack him now!"

"Revolution 0 Trigger – Iron Fist of Revolution!" The racer revealed his top four cards which were Mendelssohn, Mitsurugi Boost, Matchless Dragon Demon, Child Festival of Faerie Fire and Zark Taiser, Passion Admiral. "I choose Zark Taiser and destroy Duenyan Emperor!" A golden fist descended from the sky and crushed the black cat plushie.

Subaru let out a short and rather creepy giggle as his two cards fell into the graveyard. Rad raised his eyebrow at him, just what was so funny? Picking up one of the cards, the hooded one continued, "Duenyan Emperor's effect, when he is destroyed, I revive all Funky Knightmares from under him, so I bring back Hellborof." The horned and winged purple wolf plushie reappeared. "Hellborof's effect, this time I equip him with Go To Hell, Annihilator Blade." A dark blue bone scythe appeared in his hands. "Go To Hell's effect, I revive a Funky Knightmare that costs 5 or less, so I evolve Hellborof into Duenyan Emperor!" The wolf once more transformed into the black cat.

"What?!" Rad's jaw dropped, that meant Duenyan Emperor could not truly die while in combo with those two other cards.

"Duenyan Emperor, todomeda!" Subaru ordered.

Rad was thrown back by the plushie's attack, crashing on the sand. But after how many duels he had played, he was used to it. As he tried to get up, to his surprise he saw that everything around them had gone pitch black with the exception of the dueling tables and Subaru, who had walked to Rad's table and took a card from it.

"Enough fooling around. What's next?" the racer asked.

"You've been such a good boy, I think you deserve a reward regardless," Subaru responded in the same seductive tone he had used while on the phone. "So why don't you make a wish and we'll see if I can fulfill it," he suggested as he slowly walked over to him.

"Heh, I like how you think."

Subaru took off the hood to reveal his full head of white hair, then he kneeled in front of him and placed a hand on the racer's foot, rubbing it tenderly. Rad's excitement only grew stronger as he waited for his lover to make the first move that time around. Subaru leaned in closer, their lips only a few seconds apart. And then it happened fast like lightning. He shoved his other hand right into Rad's left eye socket, his index and middle fingers piercing the sight organ. He slowly and painfully ripped it out of the racer's skull.

The shock was so great that Rad could not even scream. He just stared down at his sports suit to see a trail of blood dripping from his face onto it. Did he just lose half of his sight? Why would Subaru do this to him? It made no sense!

"I know that you wish for us to be together forever." Subaru's voice had gotten colder as he crushed the eye in his palm with ease. "I can fulfill that."

With a hand wave, he made Rad's body flow in the air. As hard as he tried, the racer could not break free from whatever magic had paralyzed him. And then he heard a terrible noise and turned to see Bochiborof emerge from the darkness, an electric saw blade buzzing in his gloved hands. In the spawn of a few moments, Rad's entire life flashed before him. All those moments of restraint and freedom, all those strong emotions, everything seemed like it happened only yesterday, and now they had all ended way too soon. If anything, his gut should have told him that the one before him was not Subaru, his husband would have never done anything like that.

Giving him a mocking smirk, the impostor said, "Subaru loved you." Then he waved the same index and middle fingers and Rad's body fell right into the saw blade, his screams echoing in the darkness.

The smile on Bochiborof's face contorted into a wild grin as he shoved the weapon down the victim's body, the blade tearing apart organs and breaking bones. He made sure not to go for anything vital yet, he wanted to enjoy the experience as much as his master did. After finishing with the belly, he went for the groin region and only after the legs started to give signs of falling off, he moved upwards to the stomach and chest, while trying his best to avoid the heart. Once the arms also gave signs of falling off, he went for the skull, cutting the face in half and slicing the scalp open with almost surgical precision. As he felt the heartbeats grow weaker and weaker, he finished off his masterpiece by ramming the blade right into the heart. When he was done, the wolf plushie was now a bloodstained mess, but a damn happy one.

Demon Subaru reverted to his normal looks and made the illusion go away, revealing that they were still on the beach. Bochiborof pulled out a new body bag and started picking up the bloodied remains.

"Congratulations on yet another skillful kill, master. I've had so much fun this time around!"

"Keh, I figured you would."

Demon Subaru pulled out the cards of All Over The World he had acquired so far: Bluenika, Greene, Blacko and Reddull, and he admired them, pleased with how after just one day of work he had gotten rid of four chosen duelists and was left with only one last piece to claim. Truly that was a cause for celebration. Maybe he would have gone with Bochiborof on a small hunt in the city, killed some unsuspecting hobos and feasted on their flesh together. But all of a sudden, his mind went blank and he crashed face first into the sand.

"Milord?" the plush gasped and ran to him. "Master, what's wrong?" he asked as he shook him, but to no avail. "Demon Subaru-sama, this isn't funny, please wake up!" But much to his shock and chagrin, he would not wake up. "Oh no, please don't tell me he's…"


	16. Investigation

It was a pleasant morning on that early October day. The sun cast its bright golden rays from the East, bringing life to the coastal city of Sagakin for another busy weekday. Hajime watched the citizens who just the other night were rushing to the safety of their homes, paranoid by the knowledge of a local serial killer, now calmly minding their daily business as if they were protected by the light, as if said light did not cast the very shadows in which the killer was hiding. Deep inside he knew that it was a mechanism to help them cope with the collective nightmare that loomed above them all, but their false sense of security still irked him. How could one not keep their guard up at all times with such a terrible threat in their home city? Maybe being burnt once was what kept him so pessimistic. Regardless, he could not find himself enjoying the relaxing morning breeze nor the sun's gentle touch.

"Hajime! Hajime, wait up!" called Jack from behind, causing the blond to turn around, facing the bus station.

"Ah, you got up early for once," Hajime remarked and shook hands with the cowboy.

"Yeah, I heard the alarm clock today," Jack joked, the two of them resuming their walk to the college campus. "Anyway, you won't believe how crowded these dorms are getting, man. I've got three other roomies and they're a bunch of fucking dorks."

"Oh? Do tell."

"One of them is a lazy ass who never does any chores. He always leaves his dirty dishes in the sink and his laundry in the basket for us to take it to the washer. Usually it's me who has to do the work for him just because I hate the stench. The other two are video game nerds and they host 'gaming parties', as they like to call them, till it gets very late. I mean, I ain't got nothing against no video game, partner, but I can barely do my homework."

"Heh, sounds like quite the company."

"I know, I know. But you know what the worst part is?"

"No, enlighten me."

"Because of those three I can't get any alone time with Lori in my dorm room. And our friends also have crowded rooms, it's like you can't find a good place to get some action these days."

"Meh, first world problems if you ask me. Just go look for rent."

"Oh sure, easy for you to say, mister 'I'm born in a rich family and I'll just inherit my grandma's and parents' fortune'."

"Look, just drop it, I'm not in the mood for this!" Hajime replied with obvious irritation. "Not after what happened yesterday…"

"Sorry, didn't mean to be a douche," Jack apologized and was quick to change the subject. "Anyway, I've found something last night that might interest you."

"And what might that be?"

"I was browsing some obscure sites on the deep web."

"For what exactly?"

"You know, the usual stuff – alien conspiracies, ghost footage. And I've come across a website that's actually made by someone from our campus."

"How do you know that?"

"They've said so on their site. It has something to do with the killer."

Hajime stared at Jack with disbelief. It had to be a joke, just who would have dared to make a site about that monster?

"Whoever made it said they're looking for members to form a group that seeks the killer, and they seem very positive about him," Jack continued.

"You're saying there's actually people at _our_ campus, in _our_ university, who might agree with the actions of that fucking sadistic animal?" Hajime spat out his disgust, his friend responding with a grim nod. "Oh no, that just won't do. I'll put a stop to this madness!"

"And how do you plan to do it? The creator of that site is anonymous."

"Listen, I've got a busy day ahead. Do you have any windows today?"

"Just two, between 10 and 12, as well as 14 and 16. What's your point?"

"Use those breaks to dig deeper into this site. Try to find out who made it."

"I don't know, partner. I may have a Computer Sciences course, but I'm not sure I'll be able to track down IP addresses. That sounds like something hackers would do."

"Then I've got an even better idea. You should contact them and pose as a potential new member."

Jack stopped and looked at the blond with a 'You've got to be shitting me' face. That had to be the most preposterous idea he had heard from Hajime.

"Really now? Why won't you do it?" he countered.

"Because the killer is most likely watching me. There's a smaller chance he's watching you," Hajime argued. "Besides, I've got no windows today. Sorry to say it, but it all lies on you."

Jack sighed. He should have known what was in store for him the moment he offered to help Hajime on his quest for justice. With a hint of reluctance in his voice, he nodded and said, "Alright, fine. I'll do what I can."

His friend patted him on the back, gratefulness all over his face.

"Thank you. Now let's go before we miss our courses."

Soon enough they found themselves in the busied corridors of the university, checking their lockers for the papers they needed to bring at their respective courses. Jack felt a familiar tap on his shoulder and turned around to be surprise kissed by Lori. No matter how many times he tasted that cherry flavored lipstick she had, it never grew old. He had to admit it, she was probably the most physical girlfriend he had had so far, and maybe also the best kisser.

"Someone certainly woke up on the right side of bed this morning," the cowboy remarked as he broke the kiss.

"I have to make up for not being there last night," Lori replied, a slick look on her bright face. "After all, even detectives deserve a reward every once in a while." And then she turned her sight to Hajime, ever so lonely and busy with arranging his papers, his thoughts always elsewhere besides the present. She felt nothing but pity, such a good-looking fellow was wasting his youth away being a bookworm torn apart by the loss of his best friend. "Hey blondie, why are you still single?"

"That's none of your business," Hajime said in his dismissive attitude, obviously offended by her bluntness.

"You know, maybe a girlfriend will make you forget about the killer."

Taken aback by her words, he put his courses back into the locker, arranged the scarf on the shoulders of his turquoise turtleneck and turned to face her. With a similar blunt tone, he shot back at her, "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, maybe you're growing obsessed with the killer just like the freaks who made that website. And maybe if you found a special other you could finally let Ken rest in peace."

She actually had the nerve to pick on him for his grieving. Fortunately for her, Hajime was not the type to just lash out at someone directly. He had learned manners when he was young, something which she probably did not. Thought his teeth, he uttered back, "Ken won't be able to rest in peace until he's avenged!"

"Oh really? Is it Ken or just you?" Lori retorted, standing her ground.

That struck a nerve. Not even thinking about the implications of what she said, he spat back venomously, "Would you have the same attitude if Jack were in Ken's place now?"

By the stunned look on her face he knew he had also struck a nerve. Good. He was growing tired of having to argue with such a superficial bitch. Picking up the papers he needed, he added, "Guess not."

And with that said he went to class, leaving the couple behind him speechless.

Two hours later, Jack spent his break all alone in a corner of the university's library, inspecting the website on his laptop. It had a black background and red letters in an edgy-looking font. The only thing it had was an open letter, as well as the site's date of creation and copyright. Its contents were as followed:

 _Dear outcast,_

 _Yes, that means you. I am talking to you, the average attendant of Sagakin University, ever so concerned with securing your future. I am writing this as a friend of yours, for I wish to help open your mind to the reality around us._

 _Are the courses getting increasingly boring? Are you uncomfortable in the overcrowded campus? Do you feel like nobody cares about you and they just stand in your way? Perhaps our educational system is not what we believed it to be. Have you wondered if there is a concrete purpose to all these years of study? Have you tried thinking outside the box and were shunned for it? If your answer to all of these questions is 'yes', we welcome you with open arms amongst us._

 _We, like you, also feel that our courses are drawn out and do not help us with building our future. We also are uncomfortable with being swallowed by the whale which is the crowd of uncaring strangers in our campus. We too wondered about the purpose of this system and suffered for being different. But we outcasts have decided that together we will cut open the whale and take back what we lost during our formative years. Think about it, our future remains uncertain even after we get our degree._

 _Dear friend, we might have more in common than you think. The system has made us stagnate by keeping us complacent. We seek like-minded individuals to join us and hear what we have to say, and in turn we will also hear what you have to say. Only together will we all manage to achieve personal growth._

 _What happened on our campus in the first week of October was highly regrettable, but if you can see beyond the tragedy, you will realize that there is someone or something out there who shares a common goal with us, the outcasts, and has left a clear message. As such, it is our goal to find this being, understand them and maybe even devote ourselves to their cause. If you wish to join us, message: beginningofanera_ _at saguni .jp_

Jack giggled silently as he finished it. What a pompously rebellious letter. Just who would have been stupid enough to fall for those sugar-coated words? Needless to say, this was probably the closest lead that they had in their quest for finding the killer. And so, he logged in to one of his fake email accounts and sent them a message:

 _Hi there, just read ur message & was rly imprsd! Id lik 2 know more bout ur group. I 2 think dat society sux dik & theres rly nothin 4 us 2 struggle. If theres a way 2 learn more bout a bettar way of life, Im all up 4 it! _

He only hoped that his words were as sugar-coated and would have actually duped them. If he got to know this group better, maybe then he and Hajime would have had a better lead on their case. Not wasting any time, he opened Facebook and messaged his friend to inform him of what he had done. Although Hajime was busy with his course, Jack knew that he would definitely make time when it came to this. As expected, the blond was quick to type back and congratulate him for a job well done, instructing him to wait for a reply. Maybe Lori was right, maybe it all was indeed becoming an obsession for his friend.

Just as he closed his Facebook tab, he saw that he received an email from beginningofanera at saguni .jp, thing which surprised him. Were they really that fast, or had they been online right at that moment? He quickly looked around to confirm that the library was still empty. Thankfully it was. Still, someone on campus had just responded to him. Their mail read:

 _Greetings, dear friend!_

 _We have read your message and look forward to meeting you in person so that we can share more. However, before said meeting can occur, we would like for you to answer the questions in the word document I have attached so that we can get to know you better._

 _Best of luck!_

 _~S_

Jack opened the document and skimmed through them. Only five questions, all with four choice answers, and they seemed rather innocuous, but from the way they were worded he realized that said answers actually counted. Unsure of how to tackle them, he messaged Hajime once again, explaining the situation and asking for help. He received no response, only a 'seen'. Just typical… Deciding that he had done enough investigations, he closed Tor browser, minimized the Word document and went on Youtube to kill some time until his next course.

Not even five minutes passed when he heard the library's door open and saw Hajime walk in, his own laptop and courses under his right arm. As expected, he probably did not even bother to reply and opted to come right there.

"I lied to my professor that I wasn't feeling well and skipped the rest of her course," the blond explained as he brought a chair near his friend's table.

"Don't worry, it'll be worth it," Jack promised and showed his laptop, putting the Word document on screen. "As I said, they want me to answer these questions and email them back. But I'm not too sure about them, so I thought you should take a shot at them."

"Hmm, let's see then." Hajime pulled Jack's laptop closer to him. The questions were as followed:

1) If you became a professor and had the chance to change the structure of your course however you wished, what kind of changes would you make?

A: Make it even more detailed so that the students can have a better grasp on the subject matter. That always leaves a good impression.

B: Make it even more detailed so that the students can have a better grasp on the subject matter. It's the best way to stimulate their minds.

C: Shorten it to the basics and leave those interested to study at their own leisure. Being clear and concise always leaves a good impression.

D: Shorten it to the basics and leave those interested to study at their own leisure. That way the good students are separated from the rest.

2) You are in a busy crowd, hurrying to catch an urgent appointment. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a weak little boy fainted and stepped upon by the hurried people. What do you do?

A: Pretend you want to help him, then snatch his valuables.

B: Ignore him, there are plenty poor children out there.

C: Alert the authorities, they will take care of him.

D: Run to his aid, you can't leave the poor soul in misery.

3) Every day we are bombarded with advertisements, commercials and billboards that lure us in with a false sense of hope and stir us into buying products, dressing in a certain way, even acting in a certain way. All of it to promote a progressively shallow society. If you had the chance to be the head of our country, what would you do to reform the country?

A: Keep things as they are.

B: Create laws to prohibit false advertising and lessen aggressive marketing.

C: Ban all companies that push for aggressive marketing.

D: Allow companies even more freedom into how they conduct their marketing.

4) If you had to choose between a poorly paid but easy job and a well paid but hard job, which one would you pick?

A: Poorly paid, so there can be no stress.

B: Well paid, so you can afford a better life.

C: Either, as long as you can contribute to our society.

D: Neither, we will all die anyway.

5) Our current society is working like a machine. Children are brought to this world and nurtured so they can enter an educational system which will turn them into working obedient adults, ready to keep stability at the price of their individuality. What would you do to change this?

A: Nothing, it's the way we've always done things.

B: Try to improve the quality of each citizen incrementally by fighting for political change.

C: Crush those at the top of the system and leave society to prosper in anarchy.

D: Nothing, in the end all is meaningless.

It was hard for Hajime to answer, he understood why Jack called him. Those questions were designed specifically to determine one's character and philosophy. If this group had any connection to the killer, then he had to put himself in the shoes of one as he answered. But even then, it was not easy, as sometimes there were two answers that both fitted the required profile. In the end he went with: 1C, 2A, 3C, 4D, 5D.

"Wow, I didn't know you were so fucked up," Jack remarked.

"I'm not, I just answered like one who is," Hajime explained as he got up and packed his stuff. "I answered question 1 to show that I am selfish, question 2 to show that I am an opportunist, question 3 to show that I would abuse power, and the last two to cement that I am a strong nihilist."

"And you think this will convince them to let me in?"

"If yes, then go. Sooner or later they might just lead us to the killer."

"I'm not sure about this, partner. This might be dangerous."

"If we don't, who knows how long it will be till the killer strikes again. We have to act fast!"

With that said, the blond left to the cafeteria, Jack remaining all alone in the library's silence once again. He shook his head, now certain that Hajime was definitely obsessed. Still, he was his friend, and sometimes sacrifices had to be made for their friendship. Besides, he would be extra careful, just as they had discussed the previous night. As he returned to browsing Youtube, he received an email notification. He opened it and saw that it was from beginningofanera at saguni .jp, and it read:

 _Congratulations!_

 _You have been deemed most worthy of joining us. Please come tonight to the city center, at the former Hellhole bar. Knock four times at the door. The password is "For power"._

 _We look forward to having you among us._

 _~S_

A shiver fell down Jack's spine. He could not shake the feeling that somehow this was all a very bad idea.


	17. Price of Freedom

The sound of cracking fire. A sweet smell. Warmth all around. He opened his eyes. Above was a ceiling made of wood. There were also walls made of wood, small glass windows revealing the beautiful scenery of a forest in the middle of winter. A small bed was in one of the room's corners. A rug made out of a bear's fur was lying on the floor right in front of a chimney. A deer's head was hung on a wall, facing a large bookshelf, its neutral expression with fixating eyes giving the impression that it was inspecting the room.

Just what was this place? And what about himself, was he still alive? He quickly checked his arms and was surprised to see them once more covered in purple fur, sharp claws coming out of his fingers. But how? One moment he was bound to a mortal body and now he all of a sudden was back to his true form? It made no sense!

"Ah, you're finally awake," a hauntingly familiar voice echoed in the room.

Shishima was alerted and scanned his surroundings even closer. He was lying in an armchair, in front of a wooden table filled with sweets, a kettle with two cups of tea in the middle. On the opposite side was The Writer, also sitting in an armchair, his dark blue bathrobe now giving him an eerily regal appearance.

"You again?" the demon spoke in an aggressive tone.

"Why yes, who else? You looked so exhausted after your last murder that I thought of inviting you over to my humble abode," the old man replied in a surprisingly polite manner and calmly passed a cup of tea to his guest. "So, how do you like your second chance so far?"

"Spare me the niceties." Shishima pushed aside the cup of tea, his anger slowly increasing. "What's wrong with this human body I've received?"

"Oh, you don't like it? I made sure it was an exact copy of young Subaru's, just so you could feel right at home."

"It's way weaker than any other body I've possessed! How do you expect me to work my master plan if five times a day I feel like I'm about to die?!"

The Writer gave out a sarcastic chuckle, it only got on Shishima's nerves even more. "But I thought you already figured it out by now. Your demon powers are way too much for mere mortal flesh. Every time you pull off your illusions, you only put more strain on your body."

"Why is that the case?" the lion fiend asked through his fangs, still struggling to keep his calm.

"It's because all this time you've been possessing the bodies of other humans. If you share your body with another soul, that soul will keep it balanced at the cost of your independence."

The epiphany hit Shishima hard. Did that mean his freedom was going to be short lived and he once more would have had to rely on other mortals? No, he would not accept that! And then he remembered All Over The World, maybe if he completed the creature and had full access to its power, he could maintain its body. But then, as if his inner musings had been heard…

"All Over The World is more than just a robotic creature made out of buildings," The Writer spoke up, interrupting his train of thought. "A high amount of mana had been used to give birth to this weapon of mass destruction and creation. Beyond its material façade lies the essence of the universe itself. A universe created by me."

"Stop bullshitting me, old man!" Shishima raised his voice, beginning to spit out his frustrations. "If you truly are the creator of existence, why won't you make it possible for me to have a healthy mortal body?"

"Where would the fun in that be?" A mocking smirk grew on the old man's face. "If I gave you exactly what you wanted, you wouldn't have to struggle for it. And that would be anything but entertaining."

That was all it took to make the demon snap. He got up, pushing the armchair back, and he threw the table away, the sound of breaking porcelain echoing around them. The Writer stood still, unfazed by the tantrum he was witnessing. A claw caught his neck in a tight grip and pulled him out of his seat, both their faces getting uncomfortably close.

"I haven't crawled my way back from the Abyss just to be your little toy. So, either help me find a way to be healthy again, or get out of my sight!"

"I'd be careful if I were you, Shishima. Even if you do complete All Over The World, you still have a lot to learn before it accepts you as its wielder," the old man explained sternly, not one hint of fear in his voice or eyes.

"Oh, and what do you suggest I do about it?"

"Know yourself. It's the only way you can truly grow stronger."

Having grown fed up of the cryptic speech, Shishima made his claws pierce through The Writer's neck. And right in that moment the demon was assaulted by a heavy migraine, the wooden cabin around him beginning to melt before his very eyes.

He awoke a second time. This time in the same stinky dim alley where he had spent most of his time plotting. Just what had happened? Was his whole meeting with The Writer just a dream? As he pondered, he felt the coldness of the brick wall against which his back was pressing. The noon sun's rays fell weakly between the buildings. Looking ahead, he saw a highly panicked Bochiborof walking in circles and talking to himself, "Oh boy, oh boy, what am I going to do while the master is unconscious? If we're found with all these bodies in our possession, people will realize that we're really that ones who-"

"Calm down."

His servant screamed and jumped into a trash bin, begging desperately, "Don't arrest me, I didn't do anything, I'm just a plush toy minding my own business!"

"It's me, Bochiborof," the hissed voice spoke, causing the small one to peek from his hideout.

"Master, you're awake!" the purple wolf exclaimed with joy and jumped out of the garbage.

"Unfortunately, that doesn't say much." Demon Subaru reached into his black jacket's pockets and pulled out Bluenika, Greene, Blacko and Reddull. "Just one piece left…"

"When are we going to get it, sire?" Bochiborof asked while dusting himself. "If my insolence can be pardoned, your health is of huge concern, I dare say."

The devilish teen gave out a loud sigh of defeat and nodded. "I'm afraid you're right."

"I am?" the plushie asked dumbfounded, then he shook his head. "I can't believe you finally agree with me on this issue, milord! What I mean to say is-" He was soon interrupted by a wild spectacle of colored lights as his master gripped his fingers around the four cards, trying desperately to suck more power out of them. But this time around his attempts were more like someone failing at lighting a fire, and after a few failed tries he gave up, resting again with his back against the brick wall.

"It won't work anymore…" Demon Subaru glared at the cards. "Now they're fully unresponsive."

"Maybe this is a sign that we should take things slower, master." Bochiborof approached him casually. "Shall I get you something to eat?"

The demonic one hid the cards back in his pocket and pulled the hood over his head. "I fear that won't help."

"How so?"

"It seems I might have unleashed too much of my powers on this weak flesh vessel."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning that if I try unleashing more, the strain it would have on the body might ultimately signal my fate."

"It will be fatal?"

A nod followed, solemnly confirming the bad news. Bochiborof gasped and covered his mouth.

"But if I continue to lay in this state of utter weakness, sooner or later I will have the same fate. At this point there's no going back for me, not after how much I've used up this flesh."

"What do you suggest then?" the Funky Knightmare asked and he watched his master force himself up while breathing heavily. "Oh no, you should take some time to rest!" His pleas fell on deaf ears as Demon Subaru walked to their first bag filled with corpses. "Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm too tired to go after the last one. It seems that I'll need a little help."

Black smoke came out of Demon Subaru's fingers and entered the bag, making it rustle. One of the dead bodies arose on its feet, its brown suit with black pants darkened by bloodstains. The upper half of its skull floated in the air and reattached itself to the lower one. The wounds quickly sowed themselves shut. Rotten skin became healthy white and young again. Blood pumped through veins. Rich brown hair once more covered his scalp. A pair of demonic wings tore through his jacket as they came out of his back. He opened his eyes, their sclera immediately turned black and his irises shone bright red. A roar of pain escaped his mouth, exposing many sharp fangs. Bochiborof was rendered speechless at the sight of his master's creation.

"Welcome back to life, Demon Edo," greeted Demon Subaru with a smile of utter satisfaction.

The resurrected one looked around and upon catching the sight of his killer he immediately grew alert. "You again!" he exclaimed and jumped behind a trash bin. "What do you want from me? What have you done to Suby?"

"Calm down, there's no need to be afraid anymore." The hooded one cautiously approached. "I'm not Subaru, I merely borrowed his body again for my own purposes."

"You expect me to trust you after what you did to me?!" shouted Demon Edo, his wings spreading instinctively.

"Yes," Demon Subaru replied flatly and took out a mirror from his pocket, putting it in front of the brunette. "Take a better look at yourself."

The winged one's jaw dropped. "I'm young again?" He shook his head. "No, you made me a monster just like yourself!" He walked out of his hideout.

"I brought you back to life because I need your help, I don't intend to hurt you anymore."

"Like I'd fall for that big lie! If you really needed my help, why would you do this to me?"

"Because now you're young again, and more so, you're smarter, faster, stronger than you ever were as a human in your prime!" the hooded one argued, slightly offended at Demon Edo's ungratefulness, but he calmed down quicker this time around. "Look, there's no need for us to be enemies. If you want to see your friend again, we can strike a deal."

"Never!" The brown haired one stomped his foot. "I'd never strike a deal with you after every-"

"The deal is: you'll get to see Subaru again and I'll explain who I am and what my intentions are," Demon Subaru offered, and this time his words left Demon Edo speechless. "In exchange, all you have to do is serve me. What do you say?"

The former chosen duelist calmed down and tried analyzing the situation. The last thing he could remember was being chased by the one in front of him and having a surfboard shoved down his throat. And now there he was, looking like in his early twenties, but with a pair of wings bringing weight on his back and his face looking just like the monster who murdered him. But what if his words were true? That meant Subaru was still somewhere inside and needed his help. Yet could he trust the one who murdered him in cold blood? No, he needed to get away and spend some time alone to think things through. Out of the bloom, he spread his wings again and took off.

"Don't let him!" Demon Subaru ordered and Bochiborof was quick to act.

The plushie jumped in the air and punched Demon Edo hard in the gut before he could reach an opened window. The winged one had a hard landing, his face on the dirty ground and the plushie crashing on his back with a triumphant smile.

"Let go of me, I'll never join you!" he protested and tried getting up, but the toy was surprisingly heavy, almost like a human midget.

"Perhaps I should prove you my will to help," the hooded one suggested and kneeled down to him. "You know, it would be a pity if you were all alone out there."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Demon Subaru stretched his hands back to the opened bag and fired another black smoke into it. The other corpse came out as a multitude of pieces of flesh and organs. Each of them lined up and united like a puzzle completing itself. Cut off bits were sown back together and soon it all took the form of a young woman also in her early twenties with long green hair and green tattoos all over her skin. A dark green sleeveless kimono also arose from the empty bag to cover her. Long sharp claws appeared instead of nails on her hands' fingers. She opened her eyes, revealing that they were the same as Demon Edo's and Demon Subaru's, and she also gave out a roar of pain upon her resurrection, exposing her own mouth filled with sharp fangs.

"It can't be, you killed her too…?" asked the brunette.

"And now I revived her as well." The hooded one turned to the girl. "Welcome back to life, Demon Sora."

"This is not happening." Demon Edo shook his head in denial. "It must be an awful nightmare."

"Oh, but I assure you, it's very real!" Bochiborof responded and pressed his foot harder on the other's spine, making him grunt. "If you're feeling pain, then it surely is real!"

After a few minutes of short explanations, they all calmed down and the winged duelist was back on his feet, next to his resurrected friend.

"So, you mean to say we're no longer human?" Demon Sora asked, looking at her claws.

Demon Subaru nodded. "Attempting to reintegrate into human society is now futile. Even if you're not discovered, you cannot maintain your old people disguise for long. More so, in these forms you cannot age and are basically immortal."

"It's not natural, what's happened to us. We're not meant to be demons. This is… just wrong."

"Why did you do this to us? What do you need our help for?" Demon Edo intervened.

The hooded one crossed his arms and stood tall in front of them like a shadow ready to cast itself and engulf everything.

"My name is Shishima. I was once the prince of a realm called the Twilight Kingdom. It's located in the afterlife, right between Hell and Purgatory. My far ancestors had escaped Hell's prison and sought to make a place of their own, where they could rule themselves. These rebellious demons became known as the youkai."

"Youkai… I've read about them. They've got the ability to shapeshift, but usually have animal features," Demon Sora brought up.

"That is correct," Demon Subaru continued. "I myself am a lion daiyoukai, the highest class of the Twilight Kingdom. I have come to this world a little over a thousand years ago, after my banishment."

"Banishment? What happened to you?" Demon Edo wondered.

"Let's just say that there have been differences in vision between me and the rest of my kin. The point is, they're bent on conquest, and they have been tracking me down over the past centuries. Sooner or later, they will arrive to your world, and when they do, they will wipe out mankind as we know it."

"How's this any different from what you've been doing, huh?!" Demon Sora snapped at him.

"Yeah, you've been torturing and killing humans ever since we've known you!" her friend added.

"I'm trying to demonize this world so that it will survive the Twilight Kingdom when it comes!" Demon Subaru claimed, the two duelists looking at him with surprise. "Do you actually think that you've got a chance in facing them as weak mortals?"

"I… don't know," Demon Edo said, unclenching his fist. "I'm not sure of anything anymore."

"Well I am!" Demon Sora maintained her aggressive tone. "From what you're telling me, either mankind becomes demonized by you or gets wiped out by the Twilight Kingdom. There are no good sides here! How are we supposed to choose?"

"What if I told you that you can be together with your friends again?" the hooded shadow's voice replied with a hint of kindness they had never heard before from him. "You'll never have to worry about aging or dying, you can forever live in the moment without any worries."

What followed was silence as the two reflected upon his offering. Although what the monster was promising tempted them to no avail, they could not get over the fact that he had killed them brutally. Even if he was kind enough to resurrect them, what guarantee did they have that he was not simply lying or tricking them? But when they looked at each other, they knew that things were different now, there was no way they could go back to being human ever again. Before they could decide on an answer, Demon Subaru widened his eyes which glowed bright red.

Suddenly, the two of them awoke in a peaceful meadow, the pleasant scent of lavender in the air, the warm rays of spring's sun gently touching their skin, the gentle mountain breeze soothing their minds. It was as if they had been snatched out of that infernal existence and taken straight to paradise. Looking down, they both saw their reflections in the river. They were still young, but this time around they lacked all their demonic features.

"Guys, is that really you?" called a familiar voice, both turning to see their old friend Subaru, as young and happy as them. "Edo, Sora, I've missed you so much!" He ran up to them and hugged them both, the trio spinning until they fell on the grass, laughing all the while.

But alas, the moment of bliss did not last forever, and they awoke from their happiness back into the smelly alley, still in their new bodies, and a cold glare staring them down in expectation.

"W-what was that all about?" muttered Demon Edo, still in disbelief of what he had just experienced.

"I allowed you to enter his soul and be reunited with him. He's still alive, deep inside this body, and you can see him again as many times as you wish. But you know what you must do in exchange."

What other choice did they have? Even if they refused his offer and ran away, they could not go back to their friends or loved ones. Their normal lives had ended the moment Demon Subaru killed them. Now what they had ahead was a new life, one so uncertain that both felt as if everything was out of their control.

"There really is no other way, is it?" Demon Edo mused.

"Very well, Shishima." Demon Sora fell on her knees, a tear of blood streaming down her left cheek. "We shall serve you."

Although still uncertain, the winged one followed her example and also kneeled.

"Don't let the weakness of compassion and mercy get in the way of your new mission. Embrace your violent side, let the demon blood take over!" Demon Subaru waved his hands above their heads and they began shaking and growling, exposing their fangs and foaming at the mouth like rabid animals. "Now your rebirth is complete." They both looked at him with predatory eyes. "Go, kill Tsugumi and fetch me the last piece of All Over The World!"

"It will be done, master!" Demon Sora promised.

"She'll cooperate or die struggling!" Demon Edo added, the two of them cackling with newfound vigor.

Once they left, Demon Subaru collapsed back between the trash bins. At last, he no longer needed to mask his fatigue. After a few deep breaths, he instructed, "Bochiborof, fetch me some meat."

"Right away, milord!" The plushie complied and ran off to find some random human to kill.

Now alone, he could ponder on his newest creations in peace. It worked, it actually worked. Not only had he managed to bring two mortals back to life, but he also demonized them, giving each a trait of his true form. This was something he had dreamed of doing over the last few centuries, for demonized servants were way more useful than zombified servants. And much easier too, all he had to do was transfer a bit of his essence into those corpses. That was enough to bring their souls back from the afterlife and revitalize their bodies. Maybe All Over The World was an even better power source than he imagined.

As for the lies he had fed them, he knew that they were not really the most emotionally stable out of his enemies, so his words and illusions were enough to keep them under his thumb for the time being. There was indeed a truth in what he had said. He remembered the vow he made upon his banishment to the human world, that he would one day become a god and take revenge on the Twilight Kingdom for daring to forsake him. And with each small victory he gained in the city of Sagakin, he could finally feel that day approaching.

Tsugumi relaxed on her sofa, taking a sip of green tea as she watched the news on TV. For the first time in that week she felt like her worries were beginning to dissipate. Hajime was finally strong enough to defeat her, so she was certain that he could stand up to the Demon. Each of her chosen duelist friends had received an invitation to the Shirayama mansion for the weekend, and the following day was Friday, meaning that the team was going to reunite soon and discuss how to combat the upcoming threat. As she listened to the news presenter assure the citizens that the police were meticulously working on the case and gathering evidence, she began to wonder if her worries over the past three days were well founded. Maybe all that mass hysteria had been caused by a really deranged individual and her supernatural enemy had been gone for good.

The sound of the doorbell caught her attention and she put her cup of tea back on the table and got up. That was strange, usually the mailman did not ring and just left the envelopes in the mailbox near the yard's gates. She checked the security cameras and was surprised to see Sora, so she pressed a button and opened the gates, after which she went to unlock the door. The two old women cheerfully greeted each other and hugged.

"Great to see you, Sora! You don't know how hard it's been for me without you guys these past days," Tsugumi confessed and let go of the tattooed one.

"I know, I've also been scared since you told me the news," Sora said while dusting her feet, the two of them entering the mansion afterwards. "My boss called me and said I got a day off from the pizza parlor, so I decided to drop by early and talk to you."

"You shouldn't have, seeing how we'll all be meeting tomorrow anyway. But I'm glad you came, I really needed someone to talk to."

"What about Hajime? Don't you usually talk to him?"

"Yes, but…" Tsugumi sighed as they both sat on the sofa in the living room. "…not like this. I've been so scared after everything Demon Subaru made us go through, I didn't want to burden him with my nightmares. It's bad enough that the death of his best friend hit him so hard."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. How has the boy been handling it?"

"You know Hajime, he doesn't easily show his true emotions, you need to pull them out of him. But it's clear that he's out for justice. I just hope he won't get himself in trouble."

"You've been a good grandmother." Sora put her hand on Tsugumi's. "I'm sure that in a few years he'll be doing great things."

"Gee, thanks. You always have the right words, don't you?"

"That reminds me – Edo called me this morning said that he has a surprise for the two of us. He said he's waiting at his clown workshop."

"That's a few blocks away from here. Did he give you any hints about his surprise?"

"No, he just said we should come there fast before he goes to work. What do you say?"

"Sure, why not? But it might be dangerous out there with a killer on the loose."

"Don't worry, it's daytime and we'll be walking together. If anyone dares to attack us, I'll just pull a jujitsu move on them!"

With a light laugh, Tsugumi finally gave in. Soon the two of them were outside the gates, Sora watching her friend lock everything up and set the security codes.

The walk downtown was surprisingly pleasant. The warm weather served only to relax Tsugumi even more and she adored seeing her precious city ever so prosperous. Having her old friend along the way only made things even more pleasant as they talked about past adventures in their youth, laughing all the while like it were all a good dream which ended too soon. And before they knew it, they were in front of a large old deposit with a poster on its door that depicted a juggling clown on a monocycle.

"Wow, it looks bigger than I remember. I haven't been here in years," Tsugumi murmured, more to herself.

"Edo said we should walk in, he'll finish his business when he sees we're in," Sora explained.

"I don't know, maybe it's not polite to bother him."

"Don't you worry, you know that you can never bother someone like him."

"I guess you're right."

Tsugumi grabbed the handle and opened the door. Right in that moment, Sora shoved her in and the old woman fell down a large spiraled slide all the way to the basement. Down there, toys were scattered everywhere, along with balloon animals, horns, party hats, jars of candy and makeup kits, it truly was a workshop for clowns. Demon Edo dragged a large metal table filled with sharp spikes to the end of the slide, ready to impale their unsuspecting victim. But out of the bloom, Tsugumi crashed right into him, the two of them falling into a wall. As she got on her feet and tried to regain composure, Demon Edo quickly reverted to his old man looks and turned to her.

"What the hell, Tsugumi?!" he snapped, his anger surprising her. "What are you doing here? And where's Sora?"

"I'm sorry, Edo. She pushed me down this slide that you've set at your front door. I didn't mean to bother you."

"You wait here, I'll be back," he instructed and ran to the stairs from beneath the slide.

Never in her life did Tsugumi see Edo this grumpy. Maybe work had been hard on his previous day, but even so he was always with a smile on his face. Did they arrive too early and he could not finish his surprise in time? That was preposterous, whenever he called you to visit him, he always had the surprise ready beforehand. But more importantly, she could have sworn for a moment that she saw wings coming out of Edo's back. Maybe it was some new costume he was preparing for the kids. She turned to the object he was carrying and was shocked to see that it was a table filled with spikes. What kind of children's show used something like that?! The voices of her friends came from the stairs as they descended.

"Why the fuck did you bring her so early? I didn't have time to finish the trap!" Edo scolded.

"I'm sorry, you said you wouldn't take more than half an hour so I didn't talk to her much," Sora excused herself.

Frustrated, Edo groaned. "You know Shishima will be pissed to no end if we don't take care of her and bring him the last piece!"

Tsugumi stared at them in disbelief. Just what exactly was going on? Both friends walked up to her, worried expressions on their faces. They were aware that she had heard them.

"Were those spikes for me…?" the old woman asked, her legs beginning to shake.

"I'm surprised you figured it out," Edo replied with disgust and nodded to Sora.

The two of them grinned at her and their teeth grew into sharp fangs as their bodies became younger, their eyes turned demonic. Tsugumi's blood pressure grew and her skin became pale as she witnessed her old friends looking exactly like the monster from her nightmares. Just what happened to them? Did he get to the two of them before their meeting? Or had he entered their bodies instead of Subaru's this time around?

"You're… trying to kill me?" she muttered, sheer terror in her voice.

"Yes, now shut up and we'll make it a quick one!" Demon Edo said, spreading his wings.

Tsugumi turned around to run away, only for Demon Edo to fly right in front of her and grab her tight. He turned her around, caught her arms in a tight grip and forcibly exposed the front of her body. Demon Sora sharpened her claws and slowly approached, ready to tear her insides out. In the nick of time, the old woman stepped on her captor's foot, the pain making him let go. She quickly elbowed him in the stomach and ran off. Spitting out a curse, the clawed girl quickly went after her. Tsugumi grabbed a box filled with marbles and spread them all over the floor, causing her pursuer to trip on them and crash face first on the floor. She then climbed the stairs as fast as her old age allowed her, the workshop's exit being at just half a minute away from her reach.

"Dumbass, wake up, she's getting away!" Demon Sora cried out at her partner.

"Oh no she's not." Demon Edo pulled out a remote from his pocket and used it to lock the front door.

And so, her last chance at escaping the nightmare was gone, at only a few seconds distance. Tsugumi paused to catch her breath and looked down at the demons who resembled her friends. The winged one grabbed the clawed one by her elbows and flew them both to her level, elongated grins of pure malice on their faces. Seeing no other way out, she pulled out two decks and challenged them to duels. They both landed on the stairs beneath her and took out their own decks, accepting the challenge and making four dueling tables emerge. Thus, their double match began.

"I summon Onikamas, Strange Flow." A blue bipedal barracuda appeared by Demon Edo's side, a golden trident and a golden shovel in its hands.

"I summon Jasmine, Mist Faerie and destroy her." A small green haired faerie wearing a brown dress appeared by Demon Sora's side and soon vanished in an explosion, causing the top card of her deck to go into her mana zone.

"I cast Aquan Jr.'s Delivery on both sides." Tsugumi revealed Rainbow Spark, Dragon's Sign and Miracle Star, Time Caster on one side, as well as Heaven's Gate, Miradante Twelve, Time Pope and Kernel, Blue Stagnation Dragon Elemental on the other side, all cards going into her hands.

"You like to draw cards, ey? I can do that even better – I cast Streaming Shaper." Demon Edo revealed Aqua Super Emeral, Giga Speed, D2W2, All For One, Machine of D and VV-8, Forbidden Machine, all going into his hand.

"I summon Gyou, Growthkind." A small green pterodactyl baby appeared by Demon Sora's side, sending one of her shields to her mana zone, the card being Lion Knuckle.

"I cast Rainbow Spark on both sides." Tsugumi then drew two cards for each.

"I summon Shuff, Eureka and choose 5," Demon Edo said and a suited robot wielding a deck of cards appeared. "With his effect, you can't cast spells that cost 5 and your creatures in the battle zone that cost 5 can't attack or block!"

"I summon Sasoris, Dragon Edge and equip her with Boaroaxe, Evil Tomahawk!" A green squirrel donning a white mask and tribal undergarments appeared by Demon Sora's side, wielding a silver axe. "With Boaroaxe's effect I put Ochappi, Pure Hearted Faerie from my mana zone into the battle zone. Ochappi's effect, I send Jasmine from the graveyard to my mana zone.

"I summon Kernel, Blue Stagnation Dragon Elemental which stops Shuff from attacking or blocking until the start of my next turn!" A winged blue dragon wielding a large golden bell appeared and rang its instrument, incapacitating the robot. "On the other side I cast Dragon's Sign and bring out Heaven's Rosia, True Dragon Edge along with Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle! Reddull gives Heaven's Rosia speed attacker, so I attack with him and Revolution Change into Miradante Twelve, Time Pope!" The armored humanoid appeared and got surrounded by a red aura which caused him to attack, but he quickly turned around and hi fived with the white angelic dragon with long blonde hair and a clock surrounding its back, disappearing from the battle zone. "Miradante Twelve's Final Revolution, you can't summon creatures which cost 7 or less until the end of your next turn!" A pair of golden vines appeared out of nowhere and tied Demon Sora's hands. "And with his other effect I cast Dragon's Sign which brings back Heaven's Rosia along with Endless Heaven, True Holy Church! Now go, Miradante Twelve, triple break her shields!" Tsugumi ordered.

The clawed one took cover as she was left with one last shield.

"I end my turn and since I have more shields than you, I Dragsolution Endless Heaven into Neverend, True Destiny King!" the old woman announced and the floating church took on its creature form.

The situation looked good so far for the old chosen duelist, one of her opponents could no longer incapacitate her with Shuff, while the other was both locked down and almost defenseless.

"This can't be…" Demon Sora murmured, shocked at the tight situation she was caught in.

"Focus, Miradante Twelve locks down only summons, not puts," Demon Edo reminded her, snapping her back to reality. "Anyway, my turn, I expand All For One, Machine of D!" And then around them a blue laboratory in which two interconnected glass containers and a giant spanner were the center of attention materialized. "I end my turn and with All For One's effect I destroy Shuff and replace him with VV-8, Forbidden Machine." The spanner crushed the suited robot and his pieces went into one of the containers while a white robot with motorcycle features appeared in another. "I look at the top five cards of my deck, take two in my hand and put the rest on VV-8 as seals."

"I attack with Ochappi and S-Rank Invasion "Tribe", I evolve her into Sanmadd, S-Rank Tribe!" Demon Sora managed to tear the golden vines and the peach haired faerie in white dress rushed to attack and evolved into a tall furry caveman wearing three skulls on his head, chest and left shoulder, wielding a shovel, a spear and a hammer. "Since there are 4 or more creatures in the battle zone, Sanmadd sends Miradante Twelve to your mana zone! Now go, Sanmadd, triple break her shields!" After making the Angel Command Dragon disappear, the caveman gave a battle cry and rushed to the opponent, using each of his weapons to take down a shield. "Sasoris, attack and Boaroaxe brings Ragmal, Spirit Knight from my mana zone into the battle zone. I send Ragmal back to my mana zone."

"I send Heaven's Rosia," Tsugumi replied and she watched her humanoid partner disappear once more.

"Sasoris, break her shield!" Demon Sora ordered and the squirrel cut it down with the silver axe. "Gyou, break her final shield!" The baby pterodactyl flew into the remaining one, rendering the old woman defenseless on one side.

Tsugumi took a better look at her two opponents. Mono Water VV-8 and Mono Nature Sasoris, those definitely were the same decks that her friends used. And their play styles, one with spamming creatures and taking extra turns, while the other also spammed creatures by going for the offensive. Yes, her friends indeed dueled like that. But was it indeed them beyond that fiendish exterior? No, she refused to believe that the Edo and Sora she knew would have so easily fallen to the dark side, let alone tried to harm her. It all had to be some kind of trick done by Demon Subaru, and she was going to put an end to that charade right then and there.

"Shield trigger, I cast Heaven's Gate!" she announced and both Wisdompheus, Dragonic Spirit and Miracle Star, Time Caster appeared in her battle zone. "With the effect of Wisdompheus I check the top 5 cards of my deck, take Arcadia Spark to my hand and also cast it – shuffle Gyou into your deck and draw a card!" A blue ray hit the small pterodactyl and made him disappear. "Miracle Star's effect, I return spells with different costs from the graveyard to my hand!" One by one, Aquan Jr.'s Delivery, Rainbow Spark, Dragon's Sign, Heaven's Gate and Arcadia Spark went back to her hand. "And now my turn, on this side I summon Emeralda, Pitch Dragon Elemental and set a shield from my hand. Then Gravity Zero, I cast Miracle Stop for free and you can't cast spells until the start of my next turn!" A pair of golden vines appeared and tied themselves around Demon Edo's shields. "Kernel, attack and Revolution Change into Miradante Twelve, Time Pope! Final Revolution, you can't summon creatures which cost 7 or less until the end of your next turn!" Another pair of golden vines bound Demon Edo's hands. "Then I also draw a card from his other effect. Go, Miradante Twelve, triple break his shields!" Tsugumi ordered and her angelic dragon fired beams from the clock on its back, taking down three shields. "As for the other side, I summon Kernel and stop Sasoris from attacking or blocking. Wisdompheus, break her final shield and Neverend shall freeze Sanmadd!"

Demon Sora lowered her head in shame as she saw that there was no shield trigger to save her from what was to come.

"Neverend, todomeda!"

One blow from the creature's double-bladed spear was enough to send the green haired girl tumbling down the stairs. Demon Edo mentally cursed their situation, now he was left all alone to face the one who was probably the strongest of the former chosen duelists.

"Your move," Tsugumi passed the turn, ever so confident.

He may have been locked down by that pesky Miradante Twelve, but fortunately for him, his opponent forgot that his D2 Field's effect also bypassed said lockdown. He just needed to draw the right card to stall for one more turn. His smile resurfaced as he saw said card.

"I end my turn and with All For One's effect I destroy Onikamas and replace him with Shuff, Eureka." Demon Edo moved his hands and ripped off the vines as the spanner crushed the barracuda and the suited robot wielding a deck of cards appeared. "Since Shuff is a Water Command, I take off one of VV-8's seals. Then I choose the number 8!"

"That won't be enough to hold me back – I summon Heaven's Rosia which brings out Reddull, giving it speed attacker! Heaven's Rosia, attack and Revolution Change into another Miradante Twelve! Final Revolution once more and I also cast Rainbow Spark, tap Shuff and draw 2 cards. Now go, break his final shields!"

The brown-haired youth also lowered his head as each of his last two shields was broken, surrounding him with their floating shards. His opponent placed her hand on her last remaining untapped creature, ready to give the final attack, when…

"Shield trigger, I cast Tune Again and return a seal to my hand. Since this seal is a Water Sonic Command, I put it in the battle zone for free – come out, Giga Speed, D2W2!" A white tank with two heads appeared, breaking the last seal of VV-8 and freeing the motorcycle cyclops robot out of its tube. "VV-8 has been unsealed, which means that I'll get an extra turn! Now with Giga Speed's effect, since I have a D2 Field out, I send both Emeralda and the untapped Miradante Twelve back to your hand!"

Tsugumi gulped as her two creatures disappeared and their cards returned to her hand. She passed the turn reluctantly.

"VV-8, destroy the other Miradante Twelve!" he ordered and the robot moved on its wheel feet to the majestic Angel Command Dragon, jumping in the air and punching him so hard in the face that he vanished in an explosion. "I end my turn and All For One destroys Shuff and replaces him with another VV-8. I draw two cards and set three new seals on it. And now… time for my extra turn!" Demon Edo grinned with expectation, savoring his opponent's growing nervousness as her confidence began to fade. "Miradante Twelve's lockdown is now gone, so I summon Wild Speed, D2W. With his effect I check the top two cards of my deck and put Aqua Super Emeral into the battle zone. Then since I have a D2 Field out, each of my creatures gets the Sonic Command race from Wild Speed!"

"That means that both Wild Speed and Aqua Super Emeral can take away a seal from the new VV-8." Tsugumi realized, sweat falling down her forehead.

"Giga Speed, attack and S-Rank Invasion "Space", I evolve him into Adamski, S-Rank Space!" The tank rushed towards the old woman, but it quickly transformed into a robot made out of three flying saucers piloted by little green aliens, breaking the final seal and freeing the other motorcycle robot. "Now with the second VV-8 unsealed, I gain another extra turn! Go, Adamski, double break her shields!"

Tsugumi braced herself for the attack, knowing that the shield trigger she had set up with Emeralda was going to save her no matter what. Then, much to her shock, the creature did not break her shields, but it instead fired a blue laser on her deck, putting the top four cards into the graveyard.

"Huh? What happened?"

"Hehehe, instead of breaking shields, Adamski mills your top two cards for each shield that would have been broken by him. I now attack with VV-8 and S-Rank Invasion "Space" again, I move Adamski onto him and mill four more cards!"

Only then did she realize what her opponent's strategy was. He had stalled so long and made extra turns just to bring out Wild Speed and turn all of his creatures into Sonic Commands. That way, he now had an army of attackers for Adamski to mill her deck instead of actually breaking her shields. In other words, if she did not have enough cards left, it was all over.

"And now, my _other_ extra turn begins," Demon Edo announced with glee. "I summon Onikamas and two Mypad, Start Dash. Adamski, mill four cards! Giga Speed, attack and S-Rank Invasion "Space", Adamski shall mill four more cards!"

In the moment when she saw that her deck had thinned considerably did actual despair hit Tsugumi. That was it, one more attack and she would have lost to a deck out.

"Aqua Super Emeral, attack and S-Rank Invasion "Space"! Adamski, finish her deck!" the winged one ordered and with one last blue beam, the chosen duelist was left with an empty deck.

An explosion took her by surprise and blew her right into the locked door. Demon Edo took a breath of relief, it was anything but an easy victory. Looking back, he saw that his injured partner had climbed her way back despite the hard attack she had received from Neverend.

"Are you alright?" he asked and inspected some of her bruises.

"Normally I'd have said 'no'. But this is different, I feel like I've got brand new stamina. My wounds are healing much quicker now!" she admitted and then they both turned to the defeated one. "You take Whitey and fetch me a body bag. I'll personally deal with this bitch."

Later in the alleyway, Demon Subaru was struggling to eat a human arm from the freshly butchered corpse that Bochiborof had brought him. Two shadows fell on him and he turned to see his new servants, the green haired one holding a large bag which reeked of freshly spilled blood while the brunette tossed in front of him the last card he needed. The hooded one set aside his meal and stared at it, half of him in disbelief that his first quest was finally over, while the other was in pure joy.

Not wasting any more time, he picked the last piece and took out the other four. A pulse came out of the cards, echoing in their heads. They glowed with the rainbow's colors and floated in the air, taking a V position in the order of Greene, Whitey, Reddull, Blacko and Bluenika. The pulse grew louder, giving headaches to the three servants, but Demon Subaru felt nothing. His eyes grew wide as he saw the entirety of existence right before his eyes, millions of years and countless galaxies racing before him in the span of a few moments. And then the mythical creature which he had called upon the previous day finally appeared, its stare piercing him. As they looked at each other, the passage of time seemed meaningless. But Shishima finally understood that he had passed the test and was accepted by the creature once more. Though he knew that it would not yet grant him access to its power, he felt a sudden wave of energy go through him.

With a single blink, he awoke back in the alley. He was on his two feet, and his body felt way lighter than before. There were no more difficulties with breathing, no more sudden coughs, and no bone or muscle ached him anymore. At last, that pathetic body had been fully healed.

"Milord, you're finally back to your old self!" Bochiborof cheered.

"It seems so." Demon Subaru nodded and put All Over The World's cards back in his pocket.

"What shall we do next?" an eager Demon Edo asked.

"I want you guys to leave a little message for me."

Later that evening, Hajime arrived home and was surprised to find it locked. Luckily for him, he remembered all of his grandmother's passwords, so he typed the access code and stepped inside the yard. A chilling wind blew as he looked around, noticing that the security cameras did not seem to function anymore. Upon opening the house, he had the shock of finding a message written on the wall in blood: SHE HAS JOINED US. What? How? When did it happen? No, it had to be some kind of bad joke, it just had to.

His first instinct was to search the entire mansion, calling out for his grandmother, but to no avail, there was no sign of her anywhere. It was all his fault; he should not have allowed the killer to blackmail him into staying silent. If he had dared to go to the cops and present them his information, maybe their nightmare would have been over. Feeling utterly hopeless, he gave in and took out his phone.


	18. Initiation

Evening had turned into night by the time the police had finished investigating the Shirayama mansion. Much to Hajime's chagrin, they found no trace of his grandmother anywhere. _Useless cops, they couldn't even find a body if it were right under their noses._ As a forensic was taking blood samples from the message on the wall, one of the high-ranking officers sat down with the disgruntled blond in the kitchen.

"Let's go over this quickly, son," the middle-aged man began. "Did your grandmother have any enemies?"

"Most of her enemies had been dealt with. There was one…" Hajime hiccupped to suppress a sob. "…one who she feared would return."

"And did she tell you something about this enemy?"

The youth nodded. "She said he's a psychopath with a sadistic streak. She feared that the recent murders which happened on the college campus might have been his doing. But we were still unsure and I've been hoping over these past few days that the police would've found whoever was behind this." He clenched his fists tight and took a moment to wipe the small tears from his reddened eyes. "But then that sick fuck somehow got a hold of my phone number and threatened to kill grandma if I dared contact you…"

"You did wrong there. You should've contacted us right after that, there's no way you should have left the madman have an upper hand on-"

"I fucking know that!" Hajime raised his voice, venting out some inner frustrations. "I'm sorry." he added, returning to his calm demeanor. "My grandma feared that the killer might actually not be human, and I think I'm starting to agree with her."

"Not to demean your grandmother, but at that old age anything out of the norm could seem supernatural."

"Then how do you explain that our expensive camera security system equipped with lasers was so easily deactivated and we have lost all video footage? Or the fact that this was all done without one attempt to type a password, meaning that most likely someone jumped over our sharp electrified fence?"

"There are plenty of rational explanations for what happened," the policeman argued and turned for a moment to see that the forensic was done gathering samples.

"This was all my fault!" Hajime exclaimed and punched the table. "If I had been a bit more daring, maybe it wouldn't have come to this!"

"Take it easy, son. I promise you we will find her. Until then, if there's anything you need…"

"Actually, there is. I can't stay in this mansion without some protection. If it's not much to ask, could you approve for one or two officers to be my bodyguards, at least until my parents return from their business trip in the United States?"

The uniformed man regarded him. The young man may have been rich, but his own forces were not trained to be someone's personal guardians. Still, after witnessing the poor emotional state in which the blond was in, he began to reconsider. "For how long will you need them?"

"Until Monday morning."

He gave a sigh of resignation and nodded. "Fine, I'll tell two of my men to stay here with you in exchange for a little salary bonus this month."

"Thank you." Hajime forced a smile of gratefulness on his face.

"Try to stay out of trouble and if you manage to find out something, _anything_ vital for this case, contact us immediately."

An unnerving and dreadful silence befell upon the city's center. It was the only impoverished area around, having a handful of old abandoned buildings which reeked of piss and trash, a good hideout for hobos and other rejects of society. Jack gulped and wandered around, using Google Maps on his phone to find the exact location of the group meeting. If someone were to attack him in that place, he could have screamed all he wanted, nobody would have heard him. Even in the early hours of the night, that place was forgotten by the rest of the world. If someone wanted to host secret meetings, it seemed like the best spot.

After crossing two streets, he finally came upon a small building with neon lights spelling the word 'HELLHOLE' above its entrance. With its outer walls having their white paint dried off by time and covered in dust, the former bar truly seemed to be living up to its name. Jack checked his phone for a second time and confirmed that it was the right address. He gulped, went in front of the rusty door and knocked four times. The following moments of waiting in silence only increased the tension he felt. He then heard footsteps from the other side approach the door.

"Worship?" asked a young man's voice from the other side.

That was strange, he expected to be asked for a password as the email instructed him. Not knowing what else to say, he replied, "For power."

The old door soon opened with a creek which made him slightly cringe. A figure in black robes and with a hood covering most their face stepped aside and gestured for him to come in. Not showing any signs of hesitation, the cowboy entered.

The inside was rather small, being comprised of two large tables occupying most of its space. To the left of its entrance was a small bar, a bathroom was located even farther to the left with two slot machines placed near its entrance, and a large TV screen hung above the bar. Other than the occasionally flickering neon lights, nothing else seemed to work around there. A strange weak stench was in the air. Much to Jack's surprise, the gathering comprised of familiar faces he was seeing daily at college – the usual nerds and outcasts along with some frat boys. At one table a group was drinking beer and talking rather loudly about sports, while at the other they were reading comic books and discussing tabletop games. If it were not for the black robes that they all wore, he would have thought of it all as nothing more than a new kind of fraternity group.

"Your first time here?" asked the one who greeted him.

"Huh?" Jack turned around to see the other take off his hood. "Keiichi? Keiichi Satoshi? What are you doing here?"

The dark-haired peer smiled and shook hands with the confused cowboy. "It's always a pleasure to see familiar faces join our little group. I am one of its founders, so it warms my heart to see more of our colleagues come here."

"What is this place? Why gather here when you can just hang out in the dorms?"

"This place was once a very frequented bar, mostly drunkards and other lowlifes of our flawed society were welcomed here to drown their sorrows. Now it's only befitting that this place be a haven for us outcasts."

"What exactly are you guys doing here?"

"Oh, you will soon find out," Keiichi promised and then he disappeared into the bathroom.

Normally Jack would have just shrugged it all off and maybe attempted to integrate in one of the two groups. Most likely he would have chosen the few preppy frat boys, had a beer with them and talked about the latest game or whatever hot chicks they saw that day on the corridor. But he soon grew wary of his surroundings as he caught with the corner of his eye some dark red stains on the walls. A whistle signaled for everyone to cease their normal activities, so the students all got up from their tables and moved them aside to reveal that there was a large circle drawn in chalk on the wooden floor. As two of the nerdy losers began lighting candles around the circle, Jack looked around better and froze when he saw what seemed to be two mutilated bodies pushed in the corner of the room. _So that's where the stench was coming from._

"Ah, Jack Thornton, what a delightful surprise!" another familiar voice called from the bathroom.

It came from a girl with long black hair and piercing yellow eyes not unlike those of a wild cat, who wore the same black robes as the others gathered there. But the brunette was quick to recognize her. She was Shinobu Matsuda, the head of the student council and arguably the most popular girl on campus. She had the highest grades of her year, was working to maintain the drama and cinema clubs, and everyone knew her as the role model student. The only strange oddity was that she sometimes surrounded herself not with fellow preps, but the awkward nerdy outcasts who seemed to gravitate around her because she always promised them whatever favors. She always had a strange kind of social power over both the popular and the weird students. With each new detail that he learned; the mystery only grew deeper. Was the entire group her idea? How could she have profited over it when she already had all the advantages she wanted in college?

"Shinobu, I never knew you liked these dark places," Jack tried a joking but did not receive any reciprocated laughs.

"Trust me, the shadows are our greatest ally," the girl replied and offered him a can of beer. "Want a drink?"

"I'll pass."

"Your choice. Besides, we are all honored to have you here. Fitting members are always welcome among us!"

"Are they?"

"Why yes, after all, something in our message must've been appealing for you, right?" she asked and the cowboy struggled to keep his cool. "Seeing your answers, I dare say 'yes'. So, what was it? Do you also hate being swallowed by the endless crowd of students? Maybe you're tired of having others stand in your way and you want to get rid of them forever? Or perhaps you've come to the realization that this educational system is all a hoax and we'll all end up as working drones for a thankless society?"

Never before did Jack see Shinobu talk in such a manner or act that creepy. Maybe it was due to the positive image she had cultivated in college, or perhaps due to her titles and responsibilities. Such anarchistic views were more suited to the freaks she surrounded herself with.

"I don't know," he finally mustered up an answer. "Maybe, I think, it's… because it all feels so meaningless," he added, hoping that the lie was good enough.

"Worry not." Shinobu smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "We also understand the meaninglessness of this pathetic existence we've been damned to endure. Perhaps after your initiation tonight you will see things clearer."

"Initiation…?" Jack looked at those around and saw that they were all unnaturally quiet, eyeing the two of them, eager smiles on their faces.

The girl motioned for two of the more muscular students to go fetch something from the bathroom. The others put on their hoods and gathered around the circle, humming an ominous tune. Shinobu looked the cowboy in the eye and continued her speech, "You should know by now that the recent campus killings aren't a mere coincidence."

"How so? You happen to know who's behind them?" Jack asked, and in the back of his head he hoped for an answer that would not leave him in danger.

"The crime rate in our city is growing lower and lower. The surveillance of our fascistic police is getting greater and greater. We're sure that these grisly murders could not have been done by a mere human. No, there's something out there, Jack. Something supernatural, and this being has left us a clear message – it's here to promote death."

Normally he would have expected such a line of reasoning to come from someone obsessed like Hajime. But instead it came from someone who before he thought of as one of the smartest and most talented of students at Sagakin University. Something terribly wrong was going on there and a part of his mind kept telling him to run out of there. But there were too many of them and for some reason he suspected that the front door had been locked. If he wanted to get out of there unharmed, he had to humor them.

"A supernatural being, ey?" Jack spoke up, masking his nervousness with fake interest.

"Yes, in this worthless existence to which we have been condemned, I'm sure this being has come to liberate us. Not by taking the lives of everyone, but merely by taking the lives of the ever-growing majority, those who created this system which now keeps us shackled. Their deaths will be our liberation!" Shinobu declared, a strong confidence in her voice which showed why the others seemed to gravitate around her.

The two students returned with a beaten-up stranger in his sixties, all tied up and with his mouth gagged. They tossed him in the circle and joined the others in their humming. The dark-haired girl led Jack to the bound stranger and offered him a dagger.

"For you to officially enter our ranks, you must prove to us that you hate all life. In order to do that, you have to torture someone right in front of us."

"What the hell's going on here? What's up with that old guy?" the cowboy asked, no longer able to hide his panic.

"Since Tuesday night we've been kidnapping and sacrificing a weak victim to gain the killer's attention. On this third night we've prepared a victim just for you, our most recent member. Don't feel any pity for this old drunkard, his worthless life has brought no contribution to our society, at most he's been a leech. Take my dagger and do what must be done!"

The others kept humming and stared at them. Never would Jack have suspected that his ordinary colleagues acted in such a disturbing manner or listened to such nihilistic speeches. More so, if someone would have told him that Shinobu was committing murders and believed the crazy things he had heard on that night, he would have laughed in their face. It was almost as if the normal people he knew had transformed into monsters right before him. And now their gazes only added more to the pressure on him. With a gulp, he grabbed the dagger and the girl joined those outside the circle, waiting.

Jack stared down at the poor old man. He could easily read the fear out of those eyes which begged him not to do it. But what could he have done? Even if he tried to attack Shinobu and her band of freaks with the dagger, there were too many of them. And what guarantee did he have that they were not armed either? His mind went to the moment back in the library when Hajime convinced him to go undercover and investigate the group. His gut had told him that it was a bad idea and he regretted not listening to it. Then he flashed back to when he was seven years old at grandma Rita's ranch and he had to shoot cows in the head, after which he had to watch his family butcher them. Back then he was too scared to harm the animals, but his father's yelled insistence put enough pressure on him to push the trigger. Thus, he had spent the following years killing cows, sometimes having nightmares of their shot heads. Because of that, he had always been scared of becoming a murderer. And now there he was, with a dagger in his shaking hand and a helpless man in front of him. In the end he was forced to face reality: if he hesitated and did not do it, there might have been two deaths on that night. So, he closed his eyes and…

Stab! The victim's screams were stopped by the paper gagging his mouth. If he had heard them more clearly, he would have dropped the dagger then and there. Stab! This time he opened his eyes and saw the knife coming the old man's belly, having dug a second hole into it. He felt like cutting up a turkey on Thanksgiving. The way the blood fell off of the sharp blade seemed strangely entrancing. But he wanted it all to be over with, so he stabbed a third time, then a fourth, and he kept on doing it until the victim's shirt was a bloody mess.

"Gut him! Gut him! Gut him!" some of the boys did a chant similar to the ones they did at parties with drinking contests.

"Who knew that a nice guy like Jack had it in him?" Keiichi spoke to Shinobu, a surprised look on his face. "I suppose you're pleased with him."

"Very," the girl replied and walked back into the circle, grabbing the cowboy's wrist. "Enough, I don't want him dead yet."

Jack took heavy breaths as he stared in disbelief at what he had just done. Shinobu took the dagger from his hand and patted him on the back, saying, "You passed the test, I bid you welcome!"

One of the more awkward nerds took Jack into the sidelines and offered him a hooded black robe. Did it mean that others had to do what he had done to get in? No way, they had formed only three days ago. Or did Shinobu accept them because she already knew they were as fucked up as her? Her voice soon woke him out of his thoughts, "Go get dressed. You will witness your very first ceremony."

Jack went into the bathroom as Shinobu kneeled in front of the bleeding victim, those around the circle now chanting 'aah' in lower notes. Clasping both hands around the weapon's handle, she loudly uttered a prayer:

"Oh, great killer, we have gathered here to praise your sacrifice of worthless life. We wish to bring you an offering so that you may favor us. Lead us into a new era of glory!"

She raised the dagger and the chants stopped, dead-like silence filling the air. And then she opened the old man's throat, fresh blood staining the floor and her robes. Everyone stared expectantly, hoping that something would happen on that night. Their two previous attempts had been fruitless, but Shinobu insisted that they had to keep trying. Nothing happened in the following moments, leading them all to believe that they had failed again.

All of a sudden, the candles flickered and the floor began to shake lightly, alarming them. The neon lights went off and a glowing purple figure appeared above them all, shining red irises fixated on the youths. Breaths cut, jaws dropped, bodies stunned, all were in awe. Just what did they manage to invoke?

"Are you the one responsible for the murders on the campus?" Shinobu broke the silence.

A chillingly hissed voice responded, "Yes, I'm the one who killed Ken Sakaki, the lowly mugger, the drunken couple and the young professor. Who are you and why did you call me?"

"My name is Shinobu Matsuda and I have gathered everyone here because we wish to follow you."

"Keh, is that so?" A grin revealed a couple of fangs on that sharp face with leonine features. "I've sensed the negative energy your sacrifices brought me these past nights. You wish to worship me? Very well, keep doing your nightly murders until further notice. For now, our main goal will be to take over the college."

"What is your name, my lord?"

"I am the demon Shishima. And henceforth, you shall be known as the Spawns of Shishima!"

Cheers of joy came from the students around her. Shinobu could do nothing but bow down in reverence. All her life she had aspired to ascend in higher positions of power, but then and there, after meeting that supernatural being, she finally knew of a power greater than anything she could ever achieve. And as they all shouted their praises for the monster in front of them, Jack could do nothing but stare from the bathroom door, at a loss for words.


	19. Reality

Demon Subaru looked at the starry sky which was partially blocked by the various roofs. He could do nothing but smile. Everything went better than he wanted. Not only was he finally free of human hosts in a fully healthy body, but now for the first time in over a thousand years he once more had a group of loyal followers. Of course, those humans may not have been the most useful of subjects due to the frailty of their bodies, but that Shinobu girl seemed she was both willing to truly worship him and also had the proper skills to coerce the others into doing the same. And then there was Hajime, he could feel his inner turmoil over the death of Tsugumi so well, it fed him even more than when he had killed Ken. Unable to hold his joy any longer, he climbed on a trash bin which he used as a podium, and posturing proud in front of Demon Edo and Demon Sora, he held his victory speech:

"Many bodies we'll reap, many souls will fall…" The other two stopped looking through their decks and paid full attention. "The chosen duelists are dead, which means that nobody will stand in my way ever again! Thanks to All Over The World restoring my powers, with each new life we take, I only grow stronger. Soon not even the entire Twilight Kingdom will be able to stop me. Nobody will ever throw me back in the wretched prison of the Abyss!"

Demon Subaru laughed, washing away those past days of frustration in the sea of insanity's mirth. His laughter then paused when they all heard a little rustle behind the trash bins near the street. Having his sharp senses restored, the hooded one sniffed the air and felt the subtle scent of leather and cows. He jumped off his makeshift podium and walked past his two servants.

"And who do we have here? A little sneaky rat is eavesdropping on us!"

He pushed the two tins aside to reveal an old woman wearing boots, blue jeans, a white shirt covered by a brown leather jacket, a cowboy hat covering her grey hair which was caught in a ponytail, her pale skin aged and wrinkly. Despite the initial shock, her green eyes soon revealed cold anger as she got up and tapped her foot.

"Rita Thornton, what a surprise! I must say, you had a lot of guts to come here all by yourself, and I suppose that's something to be admired, although guts alone are not enough to defeat me."

"Alright, ya good for nothin' faker, what'd ya do to Subaru this time?" Rita demanded in her thick Texan accent, not at all impressed by his pompous speeches.

"Unfortunately for you, that's not information you're entitled to," Demon Subaru smugly replied. "Now I'm going to give you two options: either I kill you here and now or I'll prolong your suffering for a few more hours. So, what will it be?"

The old woman's response was to take out her glowing deck and to back down as two dueling tables arose between them. "One way or another, Ah'm gonna get answers from ya!"

"Keh, have it your way then." The hooded one grinned widely and took out his own deck.

Five shields materialized above both duelists as each drew five cards. And thus, their match began.

"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." The cowboy humanoid with the serpent skeleton on his arm appeared by Demon Subaru's side.

"Ah cast Faerie Life," Rita said and put the top card of her deck into the mana zone.

"I summon Jenny, the Dismantling Doll." The white-haired doll in a dark red dress who was wielding a razor weapon appeared, forcing the old woman to reveal her hand: Pixie Life, Faerie Shower, Jenny, the Dismantling Doll and Team Tech's Wave Go. "Discard your own Jenny and I end my turn."

"Ah cast Faerie Shower." Rita checked the top two cards of her deck, adding one into her hand and the other to her mana zone.

"I evolve Jenny into Black Psycho, Revenge." The doll got surrounded by a dark aura and transformed into a dark purple demon in jester's clothing, wielding a sword and shield and donning a hockey mask. "Black Psycho's effect discards two cards at random from your hand," Demon Subaru explained and gleefully watched his opponent discard Pixie Life and Team Tech's Wave Go.

"Ah expand Cyberdice Vegas, Gambling Expert of D." A casino appeared, containing slot machines, roulettes, a circle made of playing cards and a blue 6-sided dice in the middle. "Ah end mah turn and draw a card from Cyberdice Vegas."

"Ho? You also use D2 Fields? That's an improvement coming from your slow ramp deck. Regardless, I can also draw – I summon Vader, Dark Armor." A grey armored-knight with a horned skull-shaped helmet and a large shield in one of its hands joined BloodRayne and Black Psycho by Demon Subaru's side. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Ninjariban, Dragon Edge landed in his graveyard, allowing him to draw a card.

"Ah summon Sr Spellcyclica, Dragment Symbol and recast Faerie Shower from the graveyard, then Ah take it to mah hand," Rita said and the white and blue dragon made of crystals appeared, allowing her to cast her spell once more, adding another card into her hand and another to her mana zone. "Ah end mah turn and draw another card from Cyberdice Vegas."

"All those discards and you're still keeping a good number of cards in your hand. Maybe your deck's not as weak as I recall it," Demon Subaru remarked, only to receive the same silent cold glare from the cowgirl. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue in the last few decades?"

"Just do yer turn, big mouth."

"Keh, you'll regret those words – I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge and bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace!" The winged and horned purple wolf plushie appeared alongside the winged demonic palace, causing the top two cards of their owner's deck to go into his graveyard, those being Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation and Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter. "Welcome Hell's effect, I revive Ninjariban, Dragon Edge which brings out Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle." The blue ninja plushie also appeared, bringing forth a red Japanese-styled castle with burning swords coming out of its edges.

Rita's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, that's Rad's dragheart!"

" _Was_ Rad's dragheart," Demon Sora added, a smirk of satisfaction showing her own sharp fangs.

"Does that mean that ya two...?"

"It's true, Rita. We were once the Edo and Sora you knew." Demon Edo spread his wings and did a mock bow in front of her. "But now that's all in the past. The master made us much better than we ever were!"

"So, when ya said earlier that the chosen duelists are dead…"

"Look at my hyperspatial zone." Demon Subaru pointed at his table and Rita was stunned to see the other pieces of All Over The World. "They've all been dealt with. You're the very last, and how generous of you to spare us the trouble of hunting you down!"

The woman shook her head in denial. "It can't be, this must be some kind of devil's trick ya wanna pull on me. Ah won't accept it, Ah won't!"

"You definitely weren't the brightest among your pesky little group of heroes. Anyway, Reddull gives Hellborof speed attacker, so I attack with him and Welcome Hell revives Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter." The long-haired purple wolf plushie appeared, causing Magnum, Allshot Doll, Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and Ninjariban, Dragon Edge to land into his owner's graveyard, the latter going into his hand. "Hellborof, double break her shields!" The winged plushie used his bone scythe to cut off two of the opponent's shields. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Savage, Forbidden U landed in Demon Subaru's graveyard, allowing him to draw. "Then I destroy BloodRayne, Black Psycho, Vader and Bochiborof to Dragsolution Welcome Hell into Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King!" The winged palace fired two lasers which blasted the four creatures away, then its center cracked open to reveal the Demon Command Dragon inside. "With the effect of Deathgoros, I destroy Sr Spellcyclica!"

"When he's destroyed, Sr Spellcyclica goes to the bottom of mah deck instead! Now it's mah turn, Ah cast Faerie Shower." Rita looked at the top two cards of her deck again, one in her hand and the other in her mana zone. "Then Ah cast Hyperspatial Faerie Hole, put the top card of mah deck into the mana zone and bring out Victorious Gaial Kaiser. Attack and Revolution Change into Puchohenza, Mia Moja!" she ordered and the red armored dragon wielding two flaming orange swords rushed in the battle zone and then turned around and hi fived with a golden armored warrior riding a lion, disappearing and letting the other creature take his place. "Final Revolution, Ah send all creatures weaker than Puchohenza to our mana zones!" The warrior aimed his bow and arrow at both Hellborof and Ninjariban and shot the two plushies, making them disappear. "Go, Puchohenza, triple break his shields!" The lion roared and ran straight into Demon Subaru's shields, taking them down. "Ah end mah turn and draw from Cyberdice Vegas."

"I think it's time I got rid of that pesky Cyberdice – I expand Haridelberg, Hell of D!" A mountain filled with spikes appeared and replaced the casino, a metallic skull in the middle of its valley. "Then I summon Hell Mission, Dark Armor and BloodRayne, Start Dash."

"Both enter tapped because of Puchohenza," Rita reminded him and watched the knight in purple armor wielding a sword and shield appear alongside the cowboy, the two of them forced to kneel.

"Deathgoros, attack Puchohenza!" At Demon Subaru's order, the giant demonic dragon flew at the warrior riding the lion, its owner putting Duenyan Emperor from his deck into the graveyard and reviving Jenny once again, the doll forcing his opponent to discard her last card – Bell Hell De Skull, Moon Reaper, after which Deathgoros rammed his scythe right into Puchohenza's stomach, the blade coming out of his back and stabbing his lion too, both of them wailing in agony and disappearing in an explosion.

Rita gulped, she had lost both her D2 Field and her big finisher. She needed to quickly draw another in order to turn the tables back in her favor. And as if her prayers were answered, she breathed a sigh of relief upon drawing her top card. Tapping all eleven cards in her mana zone, she raised her voice and said, "Ah summon Wedding, Zenith of "Celebration"!"

Demon Subaru was taken aback at the sight of the giant white angelic creature wielding two large shields. It had been a long while since he had seen a Zenith creature, and he never expected that an opponent would manage to ramp and stall enough to bring out one against him. Maybe he had been a little too lenient on her.

"Wedding's effect, choose 4 cards in yer hand and/or creatures in the battle zone, and send them all to yer shields!" Rita watched how her opponent sent BloodRayne, Hell Mission and Jenny to his shields, while Deathgoros flipped back to Welcome Hell.

"Since Hell Mission left the battle zone, I destroy Wedding!" Demon Subaru added.

"Eternal Omega, Wedding goes back to mah hand. Yer move."

"Don't think you've got it easy now, foolish human! I summon Hellborof and equip him with Go To Hell, Annihilator Blade!" The winged plushie reappeared, this time wielding a pale blue bone scythe, and it made Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie and BloodRayne, Start Dash to fall into his owner's graveyard from the top of his deck. "Go To Hell's effect, I revive Ninjariban, which in turn brings out Blacko, Dragon Soul Palace. Now discard Wedding!"

"Hmph, fine." The old woman tossed another finisher into her graveyard and began her turn. "Ah cast Faerie Shower, check the top two cards of mah deck, add one to hand and the other to the mana zone." She then smiled slickly at the hooded one. "Ah cast Team Tech's Wave Go, return all your cards which cost 5 or less back to yer hand!"

"What the…?" Demon Subaru's jaw dropped as he saw Reddull, Blacko, Go To Hell and Welcome Hell return to his hyperspatial zone, while Haridelberg and Ninjariban went into his hand. "Don't think these cheap tricks of yours will save you for long! I summon two Ninjariban, Dragon Edge and they will bring out Greene, Dragon Soul Ruins and Bluenika, Dragon Soul Fortress!" The two ninja plushies brought out two more pieces of All Over The World, allowing their owner to ramp a mana and draw a card.

"Ah summon VAN Beethoven, Zenith of "Shura", return all yer creatures to yer hand!" A tall white dragon with a spiky blonde mane appeared, wielding a shield shaped like the Sol key and a large spear, he roared and made the two plushies disappear. "Now whenever ya put a Command or Dragon in the battle zone, VAN Beethoven will send those critters to yer graveyard instead!"

"Fool, you're helping me much more than you think! I summon both Ninjaribans again and they will bring out Whitey, Dragon Soul Church and Blacko, Dragon Soul Palace!" The two ninja plushies reappeared, bringing out two more pieces of All Over The World. "Whitey's effect shall freeze VAN Beethoven."

"Ah summon another Wedding, Zenith of "Celebration"!" The white angelic creature reappeared by Rita's side, sending both Ninjaribans and the two cards in her opponent's hand to his shields.

Demon Subaru growled. The cowgirl was becoming less of a fun opponent and more of an annoyance. He drew his next card and quickly played it, saying, "I summon School Man and destroy him."

"Ah destroy VAN Beethoven. Eternal Omega, he goes back to mah hand. And now mah turn, Ah summon VAN Beethoven once more! Wedding, burn 3 of his shields!" Rita ordered and the Zenith fired a beam from both its shields, sending Hellborof, Haridelberg and BloodRayne to their owner's graveyard. "Let's see how yer gonna use shield triggers now."

"Tsh, I summon Vader, Dark Armor. I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Jenny, the Dismantling Doll landed in his graveyard, allowing him to draw.

"Ah cast Intense Vacuumin' Twist." The old cowgirl checked the top five cards of her deck and took Bell Hell De Skull to her hand, returning Vader to her opponent's hand. "Then Ah summon Bell Hell De Skull, Moon Reaper and return Team Tech's Wave Go to mah hand. Wedding, burn 3 more shields!" Heeding her order, the creature fired another beam from its shields, this time sending Jenny, Hell Mission and Inferno Sign to her opponent's graveyard.

"I summon Savage, Forbidden U. With his effect I put the top card of my deck into the graveyard and I return… Ninjariban, Dragon Edge to my hand. Keh, now you're done for – I summon Ninjariban and bring out Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle. Super Dragsolution!" Demon Subaru exclaimed and the five dragheart fortresses united in the V position, flipping to the other side. "All Over The World, Supreme True Dragon Soul!"

The ground shook and the air got heavier as the four duelists all looked up and saw the robotic creature made of buildings appear, although it was still too small to cause any actual havoc, it was large enough to fit in that alleyway. _What a pity, just a mere shadow of its former self._

"Kehehehe, now witness true power, pathetic little mortal!" Demon Subaru gloated. "The very weapon your five friends tried to keep separated is now in my hands! How does it feel to be at its mercy?"

Rita clenched her fist as she watched all of their other creatures get shuffled back in their decks alongside the cards in their hands and graveyards.

"Now, All Over The World, break all of her shields!"

The cowgirl took cover as the dragheart creature fired beams from each of the buildings comprising its body, leaving her defenseless. She tried her best to keep her balance and now be thrown away. While All Over The World was tapped, it could not leave the battle zone, meaning that creature removals could not deal with it. However, it was comprised of five cards, and each individual card was considered to cost 0 mana. That meant that a single card removal could get rid of one piece, and since the creature could not exist incomplete, the entire thing would go away. Picking up the remaining cards from her shield zone, she prayed once again for the right ones to come. And again, her prayers were answered.

"Shield trigger, Ah cast Team Tech's Wave Go, send all cards which cost 5 or less back to yer hand!" A blue wave came from Rita's side and it hit All Over The World, separating all five buildings comprising its body and making it disappear. "Also, shield trigger, Ah expand Cyberdice Vegas, Gambling Expert of D!" Once more the casino appeared in the battle zone, after which Rita smiled with confidence at her opponent for the first time. "Not so strong now, ey?"

"Your cheap tricks won't save you for long! Now that you're without any shields, you're at my mercy now!"

"We'll see about that, won't we? Ah summon Wedding again! Then Ah end mah turn and draw from Cyberdice Vegas."

"I summon Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter," Demon Subaru said and the purple wolf plushie with long hair appeared, causing School Man, Duenyan Emperor and Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor to be milled from his deck. "I return Duenyan Emperor and evolve Bochiborof into him!" The purple wolf grew bigger and transformed into a fat black cat wearing an emperor's cape and crown and wielding a golden staff shaped like a fish's skeleton. "Duenyan Emperor, todomeda!"

"Denjara Switch, Ah turn Cyberdice Vegas upside down and cast Hyperspatial Gallows Hole! Return Duenyan Emperor to yer hand and Ah bring out Aqua Attack (BAGOOON Panzer)! Now mah turn, Ah draw an extra card from Aqua Attack. Then Ah summon VAN Beethoven again! Wedding, burn his last shields!" The remaining three cards from his shield zone landed into his graveyard, those being two Ninjaribans and Falconer, Lightfang Ninja. "Now yer the one at mah mercy!"

It was Demon Subaru's turn to stay silent and glare coldly at his opponent. Truly he had underestimated her, maybe he should have kept being aggressive against her instead of stalling out to show off his brand-new finisher. In the end his overconfidence had gotten the better of him.

"What's the matter, partner? Cat got yer tongue?" Rita asked in a similarly smug manner. "Now enough fooling around, Ah want answers! What happened to Subaru and the others?" But no answer came, just the same passive aggressive stare. "Fine, if ya won't speak up, then there's nothing else for me to do besides… Aqua Attack, todomeda!"

The Liquid People manning a golden tank fired a blast at the opponent, throwing him back and having him collide hard against a brick wall. As the smoke of his collision filled the alley, Rita quickly packed her cards and ran off. Worried, Demon Edo and Demon Sora went to the aid of their master. Although his wounds would heal up rather quickly, the attack still looked like it did a considerable amount of damage to his body.

"Shishima-sama, are you alright?" Demon Sora asked, inspecting his body for wounds.

"That final attack was pretty powerful," Demon Edo added. "Maybe you should-"

"What are you two doing here?" Demon Subaru growled as he opened his eyes and looked past them. "After her, don't let her get away!"

Rita hid inside an abandoned building and waited a few minutes. Soon enough, both her demonized friends ran past it, going into the street. She peeked outside and gasped. The night sky was turning red.

She then recalled being in an airplane, heading from Texas to Japan. Tsugumi had invited them all to meet up at her mansion by the weekend, so she decided to come a day earlier to spend some time with her grandson too. She had tried contacting her friends ever since Tsugumi had warned her that Demon Subaru might have returned, but none answered. That worried her even more, she kept voice messaging all of them and they did not even see her attempts. However, she did not even inform Jack that she was coming to visit, for she wanted it to be a surprise. On that evening, she landed in Tokyo after a long boring ride, and she was disappointed to not find anyone waiting for her. _Maybe Tsugumi was busy._ That was what she thought upon sending yet another voice message. In the end she took the train.

Upon arriving in Sagakin after a shorter yet still boring ride, tired as she was from all the traveling, she decided to have a drink at the closest bar before going to the Shirayama mansion. As she enjoyed a nice pint of cider, she spotted an unusual sight from the corner of her eye and turned to the window. It was Edo and Sora! But it was strange, they seemed so… young. Dropping everything else, she went out of the bar and shouted after them, but they seemed to not notice her and they entered a dark alley. She was quick to follow them and she soon met the shocking surprise. A pair of wings came out of Edo's back, while Sora's hands had sharp claws. Both of them stopped in front of someone whose face was covered by a hood. After sending away a small purple plushie who looked like Uroborof, he revealed himself as Demon Subaru, making her realize that the Edo and Sora she had seen were made in his very image.

Snapping back to the present, she came to the conclusion that she needed help to face those fiends. Having no other option, she took out her phone and dialed Jack's number. Suspense bewildered her as she waited for a response, any response. But the device did not even ring. Looking better at it, she saw that the connection was nonexistent. After letting out a silent groan at the inconvenience, she remembered that the college dorms were not too far from where she was. Not wasting any more time, she got out of her hideout and ran into the empty open street. Although she was tempted to scream for help, she feared that her pursuers might have heard her. Thankfully, she spotted a police station ahead and headed towards it, but she stopped in her tracks as she saw Demon Edo and Demon Sora standing in front of it. She sought refuge in a bus station and peeked out, listening to their conversation.

"We've searched the whole street and there's no sign of Rita. What if she managed to escape?" Demon Edo wondered.

"Even if she got away, what's the point? The entire planet will be demonized, she'll be no match against our new world," Demon Sora argued back, then she let out a sigh of concession. "Still, I suppose an order remains an order. Let's search the street once more."

Rita was relieved to see one fly away while the other covered the ground. Once they were at a safe distance, the old cowgirl left her hideout and went straight for the police station's front door. She tried pushing it, nothing happened. She tried pulling it, same deal. Much to her annoyance, it was locked. Frustration taking over, she knocked at it and shouted for help, but strangely enough, the men inside did not seem to notice her, they just kept on going through their paperwork and watching TV. Was the building soundproof?

Suddenly, rushed footsteps alerted her and she turned to see Demon Sora running in her direction, Demon Edo flying above her as well. Out of instinct, she pulled out her laser gun and zapped the flying one, who soon crashed into his partner. The old woman took the opportunity and ran away as fast as her old legs could take her, hoping to reach the dorms in time. Soon enough, she heard the familiar sound of rushed steps and flapping wings from behind, but she did not even dare to look back. Those few minutes seemed like forever, but at last she went past the city hall and found the complex of buildings that were the dorms. Just then, Demon Edo caught up with her from the air and landed on her, both of them rolling on the ground. When they stopped, he pulled her up and held her tight from behind, preparing her like a cow for slaughter. Demon Sora soon appeared as well, and like lightning, she shoved one of her clawed hands into Rita's stomach.

It hurt. Oh, it hurt so bad. She felt as if she had eaten something sharp and it was now cutting her on the inside. The satisfied look from the one whom once she called her friend only added more to the pain. Still, she could not end up like that, not when she was so close. Struggling against her own body, she managed to pull out her gun again and zapped the clawed one once more, throwing her away. Then, using whatever force she had left, she shoved Demon Edo off of her, quickly turned to face him and zapped him as well. Holding on to her wound with both hands to stop the bleeding as much as she could, she looked at the two demonized chosen duelists. Unconscious, smoke coming out of their bodies… Then she looked at one of her palms and was disgusted to see and smell her own blood. Trying her best to ignore the nausea, she kept moving forward, soon ending up in front of the dorm's entrance.

"Someone, anyone, please answer!" she shouted as she desperately pounded on the door, tears forming in her eyes. "Please, God, let someone hear me!"

"Oh, I heard you loud and well," Demon Subaru's hissed voice spoke from behind.

"Not again." She closed her eyes and leaned with her forehead against the door. "Why're ya doin' this to us? What've we ever done to ya?!"

"Rita, poor, poor Rita…" She then felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders and tenderly massage them. "You've been away from your friends for so long, you barely even knew what was going on here over the past few years."

"Don't touch me!" the cowgirl reprimanded him and slapped his hands away, turning to face him, her anger helping her ignore the painful wound she had received. "What happened to Subaru? Why do ya keep torturing him and mah friends?"

Demon Subaru gave a short chuckle. "What makes you think I did something to him? Maybe I _am_ the real Subaru. You don't even know anything about what was going on inside his head."

"Yer not the real Subaru… he'd never kill his friends!"

"Maybe you're right. But then again, are you so sure you truly knew him? Unlike you, I shared my body with him."

At that point she no longer cared for the truth. Mustering whatever strength which she had left, she tried to shove herself shoulder first into the door to open it.

"I'm afraid your struggles are now pointless. Had you been a bit quicker, you might have escaped my powers of warping reality," Demon Subaru explained, making her pause. "Once you saw the sky turn red, you ended up in my little pocket dimension. Here everything looks like in the real world, but you can no longer interact with anything inside buildings or anyone else for that matter."

"Ya mean to tell me there's no escape…?" Rita muttered, no longer masking her fear.

Giggling, Demon Subaru waved his hand and caused an earthquake, the replica of the dorm building shaking wildly. The cowgirl tried to run away, but this time around she was hardly fast enough. Those hissed giggles turned into laughter as the heavy weight of concrete crashed upon her, putting an end to her struggle.


	20. Breaking Point

Never before had a Friday morning been so tiresome for Hajime. He usually woke up rather eager to finish the remaining few courses he had on that week, after which a weekend of relaxation awaited him. But now everything was different. He hardly got any sleep that night, the worry he had for Tsugumi's safety giving him more bad dreams than the image of Ken's emaciated corpse. Not even the warm water which fell upon his naked body as he showered could help him relax one bit. All those disturbing thoughts kept haunting him and the very thought of the killer coming after him was bone-chilling. Was he putting those two policemen downstairs in jeopardy by having them guard his house? The more he thought about it, the more he wished he could just find whoever was behind his nightmare and bring them to justice once and for all. And if it was indeed Demon Subaru, as his grandmother warned him, then he hoped with all his heart that a duel would have been enough to put a stop to that monster.

In a matter of minutes, he got dressed and was downstairs in the kitchen, preparing sandwiches for himself and his guardians. It was the least he could do for them. Yet he still felt strongly the absence of Tsugumi, without her the entire house lacked that welcoming warmth which he was always used to. Breakfast passed swiftly and he was on his way to college after refusing the uniformed men's offer to accompany him. Despite everything that happened, he still felt that the campus was still a safe place for him, at least during daytime. As long as he was a part of the crowd, he could not easily become a victim. Still, he took their phone numbers just to be safe. His morning walk was different this time around. His pace was faster, his eyes were scanning every corner of the street and sidewalk, every person and vehicle he passed by, almost as if his every action was being watched. Only two days ago he had pondered over fear and the power it had over his fellow citizens. Now said fear had taken over his entire being and it finally pushed him to action, something which he should have done much earlier. Maybe if he did, he would not have lost two of the most important people in his life.

Soon enough, he found himself in the safety of the college corridors, searching for course materials in his locker. As he did, Jack walked out of the crowd and caught his attention from the distance, fear and paranoia all over the cowboy's face.

"Good morning, did you find something last night?" inquired the blond while grabbing all the books and notebooks he needed.

"Partner, we need to talk," the brunette replied with an unnaturally serious tone.

"Sure, I'm all ears."

Jack sighed and lowered his voice, "In private, the walls have ears here."

Hajime shrugged, put the materials in his suitcase and followed his friend outside, the two of them going in a corner of the yard where they could not be easily heard by others.

"So how did it go? You seem a bit traumatized," the rich youth remarked.

"I seem? I just seem?" the cowboy spoke back, obviously insulted. "Why did you send me all alone in that place?! Do you have any idea what happened to me last night?"

"Obviously I don't. Mind elaborating?"

"They made me stab someone repeatedly," Jack confessed, his voice almost breaking into crying.

The blond one's blue eyes grew wide. "They did what?!"

"You heard what I said! That group's nothing but a cult, their site's what they use for recruiting new followers, and their final test is forcing you to stab some poor victim to death. Do you have any idea what I've been through?"

"Jack, I-"

"Do you know what it feels like to have a dagger in your hand and have to look your victim in the eye before you stab them? Can you imagine seeing them basically whimper and beg you not to do it? That's what it was like being in my shoes last night, Hajime. They turned me into a goddamn murderer!"

"Listen, Jack, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Before he could finish his sentence, the cowboy punched him hard in the left cheek, causing him to fall on his back and drop his suitcase.

"This is all your fucking fault! The cult's members are everywhere in the campus, and now that I'm a member, I can only get out if I have a death wish. If you weren't so damn obsessed with vengeance, my life wouldn't be in such a mess right now!"

"Woah, woah, calm down, Jack!" shouted Lori, who had just walked in the campus perimeter and noticed the two of them argue. "I know what happened last night was awful, but you don't have to take it all out on blondie."

"And why not, huh?" he spat back at his girlfriend. "While I was risking my life out there, he was safe and sound in his family mansion!"

"The killer got to his grandma."

That revelation left Jack stunned. He turned to the blond, who dusted his turtleneck sweater, picked up his suitcase and got back up on his feet.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know…" the cowboy tried apologizing, only to receive a cold glare. "I hope your grandma's safe and sound."

Hajime ignored his apologies and calmly asked, "What can you tell me about this cult?"

"They're known as the Spawns of Shishima. That's because last night they managed to invoke this demon who calls itself Shishima. The thing claimed responsibility for all the murders which happened this week."

Lori laughed, making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable. "Come on, there's no such thing as demons! It must've been a video projector or something. Maybe your mind's been under pressure and it made you see things."

"No, I believe him," Hajime interjected, catching the attention of the other two. "My grandmother said she faced a murderous demon in her youth. Once the killings started, she believed that said demon had returned. As far as I'm concerned, this is the closest lead we've got to the killer. What did this Shishima look like?"

"If I remember, he was a tall purple figure, glowing in the darkness. I couldn't see his face well, but I saw that he kind of looked like a lion. I'll never forget that piercing look from those red eyes, it's like he was staring into our very souls…" Jack confessed, his body beginning to shake with fear.

"You probably just hallucinated because of that traumatic experience," Lori dismissively replied.

"Will you shut your trap for once? This is serious!" the blond snapped at her and turned back to the cowboy. "Jack, I want you to give me the address to their whereabouts. Also, I want you to go back there tonight and find out more about this demon they're worshiping."

"No. No can do, partner." The cowboy shook his head, paranoid fear beginning to take over. "I refuse to be a part of this. I've had enough fear for a lifetime in that place."

Hajime insisted, "Please, if you have any more info on them…"

"Shishima ordered the cult's leader to keep on with the nightly murders till further notice. They intend to take over the college. The one who leads these freaks is Shinobu Matsuda."

"The president of the student council?!" the redheaded girl asked in disbelief, her boyfriend solemnly nodding. "No way, she's like the most popular girl on campus. She's so smart and well-fashioned, there's no way she could be behind all this freaky shit!"

"She also hangs out with many outcasts during breaks," the blond pointed out. "Still, I never expected her to go to such extremes. I guess there's a monster hidden inside all of us. Perhaps the scariest ones come from those whom we believe to be the sanest."

"Whatever, I just don't want to go back there. We've got to do something about it!" Jack insisted.

The girl put a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder to comfort him and added, "Agreed, we should just let the police handle it."

"We can't!" Hajime raised his voice. "If the police busts down the cult, we might lose our trail on Shishima. Do you think we'll be able to invoke him on our own?"

"What's wrong with you, blondie?" Lori also raised her voice in frustration. "Are you so fixated on justice that you don't care about the safety of your friends?"

"If we don't stop this demon, what makes you think there won't be other cults worshiping him in the future? And do you really believe the police will be able to catch a supernatural being so easily?"

"As much as I like this city, I'm not willing to risk my life or Jack's for it and that's final!"

"Would you at least be willing to risk them for our entire world's safety?"

"Look, I'm fed up of arguing with you. Why don't we settle this in a duel?"

As much as he wanted to keep his superior attitude, even Hajime had to admit that he had grown tired of Lori's stupidity and arrogance. He took out his deck to accept her challenge and both of them walked out of the campus, Jack quickly following suit. They went past the bus station and entered the park. The brunette sat on the bench and took off his cowboy hat, watching the other two go to the dueling table, setting up their cards for the match. It dawned upon Hajime that it had been a while since he had a normal duel. Up until that week, he viewed it as nothing more than a card game which he played as a hobby. Little did he know that the same card game would become his only way of attaining vengeance and protecting everyone around.

Lori was the first to bring out a creature on her second turn. "I summon ChuChuris, First Squad."

Hajime did the same. "I summon Crista, First Squad."

"I summon Magnum, Shortshot. Then it's your move."

That was weird. Last time he saw Lori duel, she was all-out aggressive and did not waste a turn to attack. Did she change her strategy all of a sudden? Maybe she was aware that she was facing a defensive control deck and chose to build up her field first. Whatever the reason, he had to keep up with her.

"I summon Orlilia, Flash of Justice. Crista, break her shield!" Hajime ordered and his opponent drew a card from her shield zone.

"Shield trigger, I cast Dodonga Roar Cannon!" Lori said while revealing it.

"Labyrinth, since I have more shields than you, Orlilia won't let you cast spells that cost 5 or less."

"Tsh, killjoy. My move then, I summon Dachicco Churis. Now the next Beat Jockey I summon costs 3 less. Then Master Bad Action Dynamite, I summon Bad Brand by paying only 1 mana!"

"What the…?"

"Heh, ChuChuris makes my Beat Jockeys cost 1 less. Dachicco Churis also reduced his cost by 3. Then with Master Bad Action Dynamite, his cost is reduced by 2 more. 7-1-3-2=1. Bad Brand gives speed attacker to all my creatures. Go, Bad Brand, double break his shields!"

"Shield trigger, I cast Justy Luminarie!" Hajime said and was quick to put a card from his hand into the battle zone. "With its effect, I bring out Faywon, Green Silver and-"

"Magnum, Shortshot's effect, whenever you put a creature into the battle zone during my turn, it goes into the graveyard instead," Lori interrupted him, enjoying the surprised look on his face. "Magnum, break his shield! ChuChuris, break another shield! Dachicco Churis, break his final shield!" she ordered, and one by one, all cards from her opponent's shield zone were gone.

"Shield trigger, I cast Super Eternal Spark, send Magnum to your shields!"

"I end my turn and due to Master Bad Action Dynamite, I destroy Dachicco Churis."

She was indeed faster than Jack, on that much Hajime had to agree. But if his deck managed to resist the aggressive strategies of those Jokers, then surely, he could do the same with her Beat Jockeys. Drawing a card, he began his turn:

"I summon another Crista along with two Faywon. I tap both of my Faywon and draw a card. Then I summon Shikyaku, Earth Learning. Orlilia, destroy ChuChuris!"

"One blocker and three tapped reverse blockers. Nice little fortress you're building up there, pal," Lori complimented him, for once sounding genuine. Alas, her cocky attitude returned quickly. "However, that's not enough to stop me! I cast Dodonga Roar Cannon, destroy Orlilia! Bad Brand, todomeda!"

"I untap Faywon and redirect the attack to Crista!" Hajime was quick to respond. "My turn, I evolve the other Crista into Heavy Voice, Weaving of Memory. I attack with Heavy Voice and Kizuna Plus, I send the Crista from under it to the graveyard and it allows me to cast a spell that costs 5 or less from my hand for no cost. I cast Super Eternal Spark to send Heavy Voice to my shields and stop its attack."

"Heh, you're that desperate to regain your shields, ey?"

"Faywon, break her shield! Then I break another with my second Faywon! It's your turn."

The redhead smiled as she drew her next card and spoke to him in full confidence, "Play time's over – I summon Dope Double Boarder! He's a speed attacker who untaps, gets his power doubled and breaks one of your shields whenever he wins a battle."

Hajime gulped, all the creatures he could defend himself with were weaker than Dope Double Boarder's 4000 power.

"Dope Double Boarder, destroy Faywon! I untap him and break your final shield. Dope Double Boarder, destroy the other Faywon! I untap him again. Dope Double Boarder, todomeda!"

"Shikyaku, block!"

"Dope Double Boarder untaps again." Lori grinned. "However, I think my main trump card deserves the honor of finishing off your pretentious ass."

"Listen, we don't have time for petty arguments," Hajime tried reasoning with her. "Jack is part of the cult, right now he's our best chance to stop the killer."

"Jack's not your little lackey. If you're hellbent on playing detective, feel free to put your own life at risk. But us? We're going to the police and that's final! Bad Brand, todomeda!"

And with that, Hajime lost. He packed up his cards and watched how the girl went over to her boyfriend, who seemed to not care about the match's results.

"The courses have started," Jack brought up casually.

"Who cares? Let's head over to the police station and put an end to this nightmare," Lori suggested.

"Please, stop being so brash!" Hajime begged. "If you truly want this nightmare to be over, we have to find the demon and deal with him once and for all!"

"You can do that yourself. We're not going to put ourselves in danger to a bunch of cultist freaks," the redhead dismissed him.

The couple then walked out of the park, leaving the blond all by himself. He stared in their direction, a mix of betrayal and concern in his heart, and he hoped that at the very least they would indeed remain safe. Now he was alone on his mission. Or had he always been alone? Cursing the dark thoughts which began to resurface even during daytime, he headed back to college. At the very least he now had a name and was certain that the killer indeed was not a human. The following breaks he would spend searching the internet for answers.

Little did he know that from the shadows of a nearby alley, two glowing red dots witnessed everything.


End file.
